Summer 2026

Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering Intern

Posted on 4/27/2026

Space Kinetic

Space Kinetic

11-50 employees

Propellant-free payload deployment system for space

Compensation Overview

$20 - $30/hr

No H1B Sponsorship

El Segundo, CA, USA

In Person

US Citizenship Required

Category
Mechanical Engineering (1)
Aerospace Engineering (1)
Required Skills
CAD
SolidWorks
FEM/FEA
Requirements
  • Currently enrolled for an Engineering Degree in an accredited college or university
  • Must be a recent college graduate OR graduating within the last semester of your program
  • Passion for design, manufacturing and testing of space systems and/or mechanisms
  • Experience in solid modeling, drawing release of structures, actuator mechanisms
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced, self-driven entrepreneurial workplace
  • Experience with Mechanical Finite Element Analysis tools
  • Experience with CAD software (SolidWorks)
  • To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawfully permanent resident (green card holder)
Responsibilities
  • Support Engineering to help design and build prototypes for Space Kinetic’s core technology to achieve a flight demonstration within the next two years in a fast-paced startup environment
  • Work with the Space Kinetic manufacturing and engineering team to finalize the current prototype's CAD design
  • Enhance the design through precise tolerancing across all prototype development stages, finalize mechanism designs, and deliver detailed CAD drawings for manufacturing
  • Collaborate with vendors to source components
  • Support finite element analysis (FEA) simulations for the system
  • Create models for both the current prototype and the full-scale system
Desired Qualifications
  • Ability to work with minimal direction or support and to learn quickly; strong analytical skills; creative and innovative thinking; detail-oriented; calm under pressure; commitment to follow-through; enthusiastic with a talent for motivating others; receptive to criticism and open to others' ideas; effective in written communication
  • Passion for space-grade components and ratings
  • Curiosity for testing in-space operations
  • Passion for the commercial and government space industry
  • Passion for spacecraft or launch vehicle system development

Space Kinetic develops dual-use space technology for national security, focusing on a propellant-free electromechanical deployment system called Longbow. The system uses a rotary mechanism to accelerate and release multiple payloads from a host satellite, delivering high-velocity, instantaneous changes in trajectory without firing thrusters. This creates a low-signature, flexible method for maneuvering assets in space and aims to bring space mobility and rapid in-space logistics to defense and commercial markets. The company differentiates itself through its propellant-free approach, a tested model built from a garage prototype, and close collaborations with national labs (Los Alamos and Sandia) and government programs (US Space Force, DARPA, NSF, SBIR with the Air Force). Its goal is to provide deployable payload deployment systems and in-space mobility solutions to support space superiority and missile defense, enabling proliferated drone-like capabilities in space.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Founded

2022

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • US Space Force contracts drive responsive space operations demand in 2025.
  • DARPA programs expand in-space logistics opportunities for Longbow integration.
  • CerraCap Ventures' $12M seed in August 2025 accelerates Whirlwind development.

What critics are saying

  • Chinese Shijian-21 outpaces Longbow with robotic arms in 6-12 months.
  • Lockheed MX-10A's 15 km/s speeds defeat slower payloads by February 2026.
  • DARPA terminates SBIR Phase II over 40% overruns in 3-6 months.

What makes Space Kinetic unique

  • Longbow deploys payloads from host satellites using propellant-free rotary mechanism.
  • Brings drone economics to space with one-to-many operational flexibility.
  • Patented electromechanical system targets space superiority and missile defense.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Equity-Based Compensation

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure

Health and Wellness Stipend

Commuter Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

15%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

8%
FinSMEs
Aug 19th, 2025
Space Kinetic Receives Investment from CerraCap Ventures

Space Kinetic, an Albuquerque, NM-based U.S.-licensed national security operator, received an investment from CerraCap Ventures

PR Newswire
Aug 19th, 2025
CerraCap Ventures Invests in Space Kinetic, Driving Breakthrough - Space Superiority and Missile Defense Innovation

CerraCap Ventures invests in Space Kinetic, driving breakthrough - Space superiority and missile defense innovation.

SpaceNews
Apr 18th, 2023
AWS chooses 14 startups for its third space accelerator program

Amazon Web Services said April 18 it picked 14 U.S. and European startups to join its third annual space accelerator program kicking off in May to boost ventures with solutions for improving space sustainability.

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