Ion Propulsion Development Intern

Responsibilities

• Support development, qualification, and acceptance testing of Gauss electric propulsion system components
• Design, procure, assemble, and commission instrumentation, tooling, and test rigs
• Perform mechanical and fluidics testing, including test setup, data collection, and analysis
• Support modifications, maintenance, and debugging on vacuum chamber and GSE systems for hall thruster testing
• Produce design and test documentation, FMEA, P&IDs, and ICDs
• Proactively raise quality and continuous improvement issues

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's or master's program in mechatronics engineering, engineering physics, or related field with electrical focus
• Strong interest in electrical and mechanical engineering fundamentals
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing and/or testing hardware
• Experience with data analysis tools such as MATLAB or Python
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• High attention to detail with ability to think quickly and make accurate judgements

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with student projects such as Rocketry, FSAE, or CubeSats
• Experience with high voltage, plasma, electric propulsion, or electromagnetics
• Experience with electromechanical actuators and dynamic control systems
• Experience with thermal analysis and testing methodologies
• Experience with data acquisition systems and test automation
• Industry work experience in a fast-paced development environment

Benefits

• Hands-on experience working on flight hardware
• Mentorship from leading space propulsion engineers
• Real contributions to space missions including Mars exploration
• Fast-paced, high-growth, collaborative environment

About the Company

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering launch services, spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, and satellite components. The Electron rocket has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit, while Neutron, the upcoming medium-lift reusable vehicle, will support larger constellation deployment. Space Systems designs satellites and components for NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, the James Webb Space Telescope, and other ambitious missions.