Aerospace Internship Insights - Part 1
Aerospace Internship Insights - Part 1
Personal insights from those who've been there and done that
If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re like me and have been seeing a lot of LinkedIn posts the past couple of months about all these interns finishing up their internships at cool aerospace companies. Maybe you’re one of them!
Or maybe you’re still looking for your first aerospace internship.
Or your third.
Or you just want to know what it’s really like to work at aerospace companies like SpaceX, Firefly, NASA, etc.
If you’re any of the above, this article is for you. We’ve collected eight internship insights from real interns who recently completed a stint at eight different aerospace companies.
Go ahead, scroll down, and get reading, learn what it’s like at these companies and how you can land a gig there as well.
And if you’d like to contribute your experience and have it published here to grow your network, please feel free to reach out to me (Tagg) on LinkedIn.
Enjoy!
(Note: these interns speak on their behalf only based on their experience and do not represent or speak for any of the companies they mention)
List of companies in order: Firefly Aerospace, Varda Space Industries, NASA, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space, Aster Space Technologies, and Archer Aviation
Scott Tuley - Firefly Aerospace
Hello! My name is Scott Tuley. I am a Mechanical Engineering Master’s Student at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. I recently completed an internship at Firefly Aerospace this summer (2024).
Company Info:
Firefly Aerospace is “an end-to-end space transportation company” headquartered in CedarPark, Texas with a mission to “enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime”. They provide launch capabilities for commercial, scientific, and government customers using their small lift launch vehicle, Alpha, and in the future their medium-lift launch vehicle that is being codeveloped with Northrop Grumman.
Firefly Aerospace made history not long ago with their 3rd flight of Alpha when they completed a rapid response mission, Victus NOx, for the U.S. Space Force, launching with 24 hours of receiving launch notice. Firefly Aerospace “completed all final mission preparations, including trajectory software updates, payload encapsulation, transport to launch pad, mating to Alpha, and fueling within 24 hours.” In addition to launch capabilities, Firefly Aerospace provides in-space and lunar access with their Blue Ghost lunar lander, and Elytra, their orbital vehicle, both set to launch this year.
Firefly Aerospace is a fast-paced, new space company changing the game by constructing their products using mostly carbon composite structures. Undergraduate and Graduate students interested in rocketry, space, propulsion, and composites and interested in working on amazing teams and challenging projects should have Firefly Aerospace on their radar. Firefly has internship opportunities on most of their teams and provides meaningful projects and opportunities for all their interns.
Internship experience:
The thing that stood out to me during my time at Firefly Aerospace was the opportunity for interns to work on projects and parts that directly impact the company and will fly in the very near future. I had the opportunity to work with the structure’s teams for the Alpha and MLV launch vehicles and tag along with the propulsion team some. I am excited to see the hardware I worked on fly in the future and recommend Firefly to anyone looking for an internship.
For Future Interns:
I secured my internship by applying online and connecting with some of the company leaders. Most students apply online and stand out by including relevant extracurricular experience on their resume. Activities such as rocketry teams, spacecraft clubs, race teams, and research labs can help students stand out and be the difference between landing the internship and not.
Please reach out to me for more info/help on LinkedIn.
Aaron Trinh - Varda Space Industries
Hi everyone! My name is Aaron Trinh, and I’m a senior aerospace engineering undergrad at Georgia Tech. This past summer (2024), I worked at Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA.
Company Info:
Varda Space Industries, or “Varda” colloquially, is a space-enabled life sciences company founded in 2020. Varda manufactures pharmaceuticals in space using a custom re-entry capsule that houses an automated drug synthesis mechanism. They design, build, and test these re-entry capsules (and soon their own satellite bus), and launch nominally on a quarterly cadence. Currently, Varda is slated to launch its second mission, dubbed Winnebago-2, in November, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 as part of a rideshare launch.
Since Varda is a small, fast-paced startup (100-120 full-time employees), interns are assigned meaningful and mission-critical (and often ambitious) work for summer internships. They’re treated just like full-timers, integrated into team and contractor/vendor meetings, and expected to deliver results on par with an entry-level engineer.
Internship experience:
Personally, I worked on the Mission Assurance team, where I served as the bridge between the GNC/Aero teams and the highly coveted FAA re-entry license. I used MATLAB and Python to directly support Varda’s flight safety analysis and ensure Winnebago-2 can launch in November. It was an amazing experience and I learned so much from the teams I worked with.
For Future Interns:
If you’re an undergrad or grad student looking to seek experience in the commercial space industry, I would highly recommend Varda. They have opportunities in GNC, aerodynamics, software engineering, thermal engineering, propulsion, structures, and more. Varda is special since each team is a tight-knit environment (2-15 members per team). I secured my internship through my school’s career fair, but I would suggest reaching out to recruiters on LinkedIn directly and applying on Varda’s website. Definitely free to reach out to me for more info on LinkedIn!
Sajon Seaberg - NASA (Ames Research Center)
Hey! My name is Sajon Seaberg. I’m a senior studying mechanical engineering at Purdue University. I recently completed my third internship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) this summer.
Company Info:
NASA is a government agency responsible for exploring the unknowns in air and space. NASA conducts cutting-edge research in aeronautics and space for the betterment of humankind. I worked at the Ames Research Center in the Aeromechanics Branch - located in Moffett Field, California. The Aeromechanics Branch conducts research to advance the United States vertical take-off and landing industries. With the recent success of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, there has been significant interest from the scientific community to develop more capable rotorcraft and vertical lift technologies for Martian flight.
Internship experience:
My internship revolved around developing a forward flight test stand for a single rotor of the next-generation Mars Science Helicopter. I was responsible for carrying out the remaining design and structural analysis work and developing a Loads and Stress Analysis Report — a key document required prior to testing that details the structural integrity and failure analysis of the test stand.
Each internship rotation I have been able to work on a number of exciting and advanced projects. My team gave me significant autonomy while also communicating expectations and requirements along the way. This is fairly typical of interns. In my opinion, in an internship like this, you get out of it what you put in. NASA ensures resources are available to you to use for your learning and development — all while supporting the greater mission.
For Future Interns:
NASA internships are historically very competitive, but this should not dissuade you from applying. If you are interested in a well-established company advancing research in technologies in either space or aeronautics — this is the place to be. The biggest piece of advice I can provide is to be consistent and persistent with your applications. If you’re interested in learning more about my experience, please feel free to contact me via LinkedIn!
Anshuk Chigullapalli - SpaceX
Hey, I’m Anshuk Chigullapalli. I’m currently a Master’s student in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. As of this writing, I just got back a few days ago from a third summer internship at SpaceX.
Company Info:
SpaceX is a private aerospace company with the goal of making life multi-planetary. The company has grown to nearly 15,000 employees. Originally just a launch vehicle company, SpaceX now also provides satellite internet through its Starlink constellation. With Starship, SpaceX is developing a fully reusable launch vehicle capable of taking hundreds of tons of payload to the Moon and Mars.
Internship Experience:
I worked on the Starship program down at Starbase, TX, specifically on the Booster GNC team. As Overview readers, you’re probably already familiar with Starship. I’ve previously covered what GNC entails in a previous article here, so I’m going to avoid going into the technical details again. Instead, I want to highlight two standout aspects of my summer intern work/life: ownership as an engineer, and life at Starbase.
SpaceX strongly emphasizes extreme ownership amongst its engineers, whether they are Directors with 10+ years’ experience or interns who started a week prior. What does this mean? SpaceX doesn’t have “systems engineers” in the traditional sense of the word because every engineer is expected to be a systems engineer for their work. As the responsible engineer, it is your duty to understand everything that your work may affect and collaborate with others involved to make good decisions (I know interns who worked 1:1 with VPs). That could even mean deleting your project, as the best part is no part at all. SpaceX engineers take ownership very seriously. Many friends I know who were pulling long hours weren’t doing so because their managers asked them to, but because they wanted to get their stuff working right and couldn’t rest until they were satisfied. I personally am still far from capable of making the best design decisions quickly, but even as an intern I was handed some pretty large responsibilities that pushed me in the right direction.
I also wanted to highlight the crazy place that is Starbase, Texas. Constructed on what is basically a sandbar in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, Starbase is the wildest place I’ve ever lived. In the span of four years, SpaceX has built up a ginormous factory that is now building multiple Starships concurrently and its own orbital launchpad that is capable of catching a booster. This little company town has its own bar, restaurants, a community, and a beach where you can surf to eastern sunrises in front and rockets behind. It’s also understandably not everyone’s cup of tea. It is far from major cities, your life is intertwined with work, and it can undoubtedly be a stressful place (a part of me enjoys being back in cozy Palo Alto), but Starbase grew on me a lot. It felt great to immerse myself in that world, work hard, and play hard. And I loved just walking around during lunch looking up at the Starships that would soon be in space or the Superheavy boosters that my GNC work would help fly (and catch).
For Future Interns:
I can say one thing for sure: Starbase is a wild place, and Starship is a wild program. For me, the summer was a stressful yet extremely rewarding experience, so I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I got my first internship at SpaceX by just reaching out to people at the company who were doing the work that inspired me the most. I encourage you to do the same. Starbase is rapidly expanding, so keep a lookout for internship and full-time opportunities opening up all the time and help humanity get to Mars!
Hans Klomp - Northrop Grumman
My name is Hans Klomp, and I’m a senior at Brigham Young University, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Northrop Grumman, a Fortune 500 company specializing in aerospace and defense.
Company Info:
Northrop Grumman is renowned as one of the largest military technology providers and weapons manufacturers in the United States. One of its greatest feats is the B-2 Stealth Bomber. During my time there, I worked under the Strategic Defense Systems branch, an experience that deepened my passion for engineering and my love for our nation.
The team I collaborated with was highly diverse, with individuals from various academic backgrounds, parts of the country, and personalities. One of the standout aspects of Northrop Grumman is its commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace. This environment made it easy to ask questions, and I always felt supported by my colleagues, who were generous with their time and expertise.
Internship experience:
As an intern, I gained hands-on experience with Siemens NX for CAD modeling and Abaqus and Ansys for FEA modeling, which I had previously learned in my coursework. It was fulfilling to apply these skills in a professional setting. Additionally, I had the chance to write a formal research report, which was published internally at the company. Some fellow interns were involved in more prototyping work, which also seemed exciting, showcasing the various projects available.
Although Northrop Grumman offers a secure and stable work environment, largely due to its involvement with the Department of Defense, this can sometimes result in a slower pace due to bureaucratic processes. While it’s crucial to have thorough checks on such important projects, the abundance of paperwork can feel restrictive at times.
I was fortunate to secure my internship through a family friend’s recommendation, though many of my peers were successful through the standard online application process. I highly recommend Northrop Grumman for anyone seeking to work on innovative projects within a company that truly values its employees. If you have any more specific questions, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
Taggart Durrant - Sierra Space
Hi! My name is Tagg Durrant. I’m a PhD student in Aero/Astro Engineering at Stanford University and I recently completed an internship at Sierra Space this summer (2024).
Company Info:
Sierra Space is an end-to-end space company with the motto of “creating a platform in space to benefit life on Earth.” They are the builders of the Dream Chaser space plane, and the inflatable space station named LIFE. The CEO, Tom Vice, is experienced but extremely passionate and bought into the mission of the company to change the quality of life on Earth by leading a new industrial revolution based in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Sierra Space split off from Sierra Nevada Corp. three years ago, so they carry some legacy of an established aerospace prime but are actively creating a fast-moving, fast-adapting, startup-like company culture. A good example of this is Dream Chaser, which has been in development for decades but has undergone rapid development and progress in the last few years and is now readying for its first launch.
Internship experience:
If you’re an undergraduate or graduate student interested in the commercialization of space or developing cutting-edge space technology in any area, Sierra Space should be on your radar. They have opportunities across the board in satellites, propulsion, aerodynamics, structures, GNC, software engineering, and much more. They have a well-structured internship program where you can find as much opportunity and challenge as you are willing to ask for and able to handle. I enjoyed my internship working on their Ghost reentry vehicle aerodynamics, but I was also given opportunities to learn about the work being done on the Dream Chaser space plane.
For Future Interns:
I secured my internship by connecting with the company’s leadership directly, but most people applied online and made sure to have extracurricular experience on their resume. Most interns I met had participated in a student group such as a space society, rocketry team, satellite team, research lab, or multiple of the above. Feel free to reach out to me for more info/help on LinkedIn.
Youssef Abdelhalim - Aster Space Technologies
Hi! My name is Youssef Abdelhalim. I’m a BS/MS student in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Northwestern University. I graduate in June of 2025. I started working with Aster Space Technologies in February 2024. I have been working with them since as a part-time intern.
Company Info:
Aster is working on a sustainable way to produce oxygen on the moon and mars for long-term habitats without needing a constant resupply from Earth. Relying on an Earth-based supply chain for resources such as oxygen is economically unsustainable. To address this, Aster is developing GRU, an in-situ oxygen production reactor, as the first step to eliminating the need for complex and finicky supply chains for an interplanetary species.
Internship experience:
Aster is a small startup, so every role matters. As an intern, I am given as much ownership as the CEO, Michael He, in making our first prototype come to life. I would certainly say my tasks are pretty ambitious, and there were moments when Michael and I would be on a 2-hour call trying to debug some of our CFD simulations or find the perfect material for our prototype that ticks every box. I have learned a lot from these hunts but also Michael has always been super patient and has a very educational approach and is always super willing to sit down with me to explain something that I may need help with. As an intern, I mostly got to work on CFD thermal management simulations.
The experience is definitely enjoyable. The team is very tight-knit, and we always crack jokes and make sure we are having fun while working. The pros of working at such a small startup are the ownership and trust you get over your tasks, how big your scope is, certainly being on the cutting edge of space technology as well as being one of the people responsible for such big changes. Some of our difficulties lately have had to do with publicizing our product and getting traction, especially since we have been so focused on engineering.
For Future Interns:
Aster is the perfect place for aerospace technology enthusiasts to work. If you enjoy simulations, mechanical designs, material selections, and novelty, then Aster is certainly the right place for you. If you want to be one of the people who changes the industry, and if you want to have a big role at your company, I’d highly recommend Aster.
Aster is actually actively hiring right now and is accepting offers on their website. They are happy to do part-time internships during the school year as well, which is what I have been doing. I’d be happy to answer any questions about the process as well, reach me through my LinkedIn, or email youssefabdelhalim03@gmail.com.
Holly Herman - Archer Aviation
Hi, my name is Holly Herman, and I am a senior aerospace engineering student at San Jose State University. I was an intern at Archer Aviation during the summer of 2024.
Company Info:
Archer is an EVTOL startup company dedicated to making electric air taxis as a new and efficient mode of transportation. They are attempting to make them affordable for everyone, as well as save customers time with commuting. Their motto is to “unlock the skies” due to EV air taxis being a new invention that is still currently being approved by the FAA.
Internship experience:
As an intern, projects are based primarily on what sub-team you are part of. I was part of the systems engineering team, which is a broader role, therefore it allowed me to work on many different projects. Whereas some of the other interns were solely focusing on one project over the entire span of the summer. However, due to it being a startup, everyone is working toward a common goal of getting the product up and running. Being part of the first group of Archer interns was a good experience overall. Everyone is very approachable and enthusiastic about what they are doing, and it is a welcoming environment for new recruits. The main downside to working at a startup is that it is a small working environment, therefore you are constantly working closely with the same people all the time. So, if issues arise that can create some problems. However, the upside to that is that managers and supervisors are approachable, and you have the chance to work with and talk to them often. For the most part, everything is fast-paced, so if one is looking for a slower environment, then larger aerospace companies would be where it’s at, but if one is looking for more of a challenge, then a startup such as Archer is the right choice.
For Future Interns:
Archer is an aerospace company with many different opportunities, nevertheless, it is important to have a passion for aerospace if applying there. I would recommend being part of a project that one is passionate about in order to gain experience. It is also essential to have an updated LinkedIn and resume since that is what they will focus on. I had never had a previous internship; however, I had participated in various NASA programs and projects at school. Feel free to reach out to me for more information or help on LinkedIn!
Summary
So! There you have it. There are some pretty sweet internships out there. We hope this gave you some insight, some inspiration, or some new ideas for this next round of internships. If one really stuck out to you, don’t hesitate! Reach out to the author and get their help to land that internship.
And if you’ve had another sweet internship lately, please reach out to us to be a part of the next edition of this article. Let’s demystify aerospace together! 🚀
-Tagg