Radiation Effects Engineer Intern (Winter 2027)

Astranis • San Francisco, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Astranis is seeking a Radiation Effects Intern for Winter 2027 to support the modeling, analysis, and rigorous electrical testing of spacecraft hardware within the space radiation environment. This role offers a direct impact on space vehicles by characterizing electrical component degradation and executing hardware testing at various laboratories across the U.S. Internships at Astranis typically last for twelve weeks and are hourly roles designed for students currently pursuing bachelor's degrees from four-year universities. Interns will have the opportunity to work on challenging projects, with past interns contributing to hardware and software for satellites and many transitioning to full-time roles.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering field.
• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on electrical testing and troubleshooting.
• Strong proficiency with essential electronics lab equipment, including the standard use of oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, and source meter units.
• Experience with Altium Designer (or other PCB design software) for schematic capture and board layout.
• Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and rigorously test electrical hardware from scratch.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with the space radiation environment and effects on semiconductor devices.
• Experience with SPICE-based simulators (LTSpice, PSPICE, ADS, etc.) to simulate circuit behavior and faults.
• Comfortable with soldering, rework, and building specialized test harnesses.
• Familiarity with fundamental electronics concepts and components (integrated circuits, PCBAs, sensors) and how to benchmark their performance.
• Experience with radiation transport software (FastRAD, Novice, MCNPX, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and electrically test fault-tolerant electrical systems operating in a radiation environment.
• Assist in creating electrical test plans, developing test fixtures, and documenting test activities and results.
• Practice efficient issue diagnosis and draft clear documentation for review by the team.
• Support radiation testing campaigns to up-screen components for TID and SEE, focusing on electrical parametric characterization before, during, and after exposure.
• Work in a cross-discipline manner across teams to inform their decisions with regards to radiation considerations.
• Support test development and early-stage activities, which include breadboarding electrical circuits, automated test setup verification, and basic cable harness fabrication.

Benefits

• Hourly pay of $29.00
• Opportunity to work on meaningful projects with hardware/software heading to space.
• Potential for full-time employment after internship.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern