Test Engineering Intern - Space Technologies

AeroVironment • Albuquerque, NM

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Test Engineering Intern will join AeroVironment’s Space Technologies organization for a 12-week, onsite summer internship. The intern will work alongside experienced engineers to support the development, integration, and verification of spacecraft hardware, gaining hands-on experience with test setup design and troubleshooting, test automation, laboratory instrumentation, test execution, and data analysis for space-qualified electronics, sensors, and subsystems. The role offers the opportunity to apply academic knowledge to space systems, including technologies for laser communications, space electronics, sensors, and advanced spacecraft capabilities. The program is intended for motivated college students or recent graduates and provides experience working in a full-time environment with engineering mentors. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA; preference is given to students at the junior level or above. Students willing to relocate may be eligible for a relocation and housing reimbursement stipend, depending on the team and location.

Requirements

• Entering senior year in Fall 2027.
• Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Coursework or project experience in circuits, electronics, embedded systems, controls, or programming.
• Basic programming or scripting experience with Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or a comparable language.
• Familiarity with electrical communication protocols such as SPI, RS-422, LVDS, SpaceWire, or MIL-STD-1553.
• Experience using laboratory test equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, electronic loads, or logic analyzers.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Must qualify as a U.S. person under ITAR/EAR requirements or be eligible for an export license; U.S. citizenship is required for some positions.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience building, testing, debugging, or modifying electronic hardware, CCAs, harnesses, fixtures, or test assemblies.
• Experience developing test automation scripts, equipment-control software, data-acquisition tools, or data-analysis utilities.
• Familiarity with automated test equipment, system test equipment, hardware-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, or spacecraft subsystem integration.
• Experience with SpaceWire or MIL-STD-1553 interfaces, bus analyzers, protocol analyzers, simulators, or traffic-generation tools.
• Familiarity with Git, version control, issue tracking, configuration management, or software development practices.

Responsibilities

• Assist in designing, integrating, and troubleshooting automated test equipment for spacecraft electrical systems, CCAs, embedded electronics, and subsystems.
• Develop and maintain test scripts, equipment-control software, and data-acquisition tools using Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or comparable software.
• Support the creation and execution of functional, performance, integration, qualification, acceptance, and environmental tests for spacecraft hardware.
• Build, modify, and verify electrical test setups, harnesses, fixtures, simulators, and interface test equipment.
• Use laboratory instruments and data-acquisition equipment to troubleshoot and validate hardware.
• Assist with testing and troubleshooting spacecraft communication interfaces and protocols.
• Support hardware bring-up, subsystem integration, test station calibration, configuration control, and hardware-in-the-loop or software-in-the-loop activities.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams in laboratory, cleanroom, and other controlled test environments.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) with company matching
• 9/80 work schedule
• Paid holiday shutdown
• Potential relocation and housing reimbursement stipend for eligible interns willing to relocate, depending on team and location

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern