Space Team Intern

HawkEye 360 is seeking 2027 Summer Interns on the Space Team. The Space Team’s mission is to design, build, and test small commercial satellites that deliver revolutionary RF geospatial analytics.

You will work hands-on alongside our engineering team to contribute directly to the design, manufacturing, test, and operations of our spacecraft. This role requires a strong technical background, the ability to learn quickly, and the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Learn from our engineering team and apply your knowledge to solving real-world problems
• Depending on your skills and interests, contribute directly to one or more of the following areas:
  • Spacecraft flight software
  • Spacecraft electrical hardware design, integration, and test
  • Spacecraft mechanical hardware design, integration, and test
  • Spacecraft modeling and simulation (in areas such as guidance, navigation, and control (GNC); thermal; and radio frequency (RF) engineering)
• Verify, document, and communicate the results of your work

Your skills and qualifications:
Essential education and experience:

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field.
• Experience applying engineering skills to solve complex problems outside the classroom, such as through previous internships, club projects, and/or academic research work.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language, such as Python, C/C++, or Matlab
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to a fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to work in-person in our Herndon, VA office for the full 10–12-week internship.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in cross-functional engineering teams.

Desirable:

• Experience working in a lab environment around sensitive hardware.
• Experience with the Linux operating system.
• Knowledge of git or other version control tools.
• Experience with spacecraft hardware and/or flight software.
• Knowledge of software tools specific to your area of interest, such as CAD (NX, Solidworks, Fusion360, or similar), orbit simulation (STK, Orekit), embedded Linux development (Yocto/OpenEmbedded), PCB design (Altium, KiCad, or similar) etc.
• Knowledge of hardware tools specific to your area of interest, such as electrical test equipment (power supplies, oscilloscopes), manufacturing equipment (3D printers, mills, lathes), RF test equipment (signal generators, spectrum analyzers) etc.
• Interest in working in the space industry after graduation.

Hourly Rate: starts at $25/hour, depending on class year and experience level

Company Overview:

HawkEye 360 is equipping defense, intelligence, and national security leaders with mission-critical signals intelligence to enable faster, better decision making. By detecting, geolocating, and characterizing radio frequency emissions worldwide, HawkEye 360 delivers trusted domain awareness and early warning indicators to the US Government and allied partners. Our space-based collection, proprietary signal processing, and AI-powered analytics transform knowledge of RF spectrum into a strategic advantage. Proven by operational mission success, HawkEye 360 is redefining how signals intelligence strengthens national and global security.