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Advanced Space

Mission design and AI-enabled spaceflight services

Navigation Intern

Summer 2027Updated
$26 - $35/hr+ Housing stipend
Internship
Bachelor's
Westminster, CO, USA
In PersonOnsite at the Westminster, Colorado headquarters.
Aerospace EngineeringFlight Dynamics & GNC

About the job

Requirements
  • Applicants must be currently pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or another engineering discipline.
  • Applicants must have a strong foundation in orbital mechanics and computer programming.
  • Applicants should have an interest in spacecraft navigation, mission design, guidance and control, optimization, or estimation theory.
  • Applicants should have completed coursework or research related to astrodynamics, orbital mechanics, or space systems.
Responsibilities
  • Support spacecraft navigation and astrodynamics projects, including summer projects focused on spacecraft navigation, trajectory analysis, and advanced mission design concepts.
  • Contribute to projects involving applications of Kalman filters, assessing navigation algorithm performance, fusing measurement simulation and processing, developing nonlinear filtering algorithms, applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to spacecraft navigation, navigation analysis for future flight programs, and navigation studies and operations using real flight data.
  • Use knowledge of orbital mechanics, programming, and numerical methods to support spacecraft navigation analysis and research.
  • Present project results through technical reports, presentations, and discussions with members of the astrodynamics and navigation teams.
Desired Qualifications
  • Undergraduate or graduate research in orbital mechanics or astrodynamics.
  • Experience with spacecraft navigation or orbit determination concepts.
  • Experience with guidance, navigation, and control systems.
  • Experience with optimization techniques and numerical methods.
  • Experience with three-body dynamics and periodic orbit analysis.
  • Experience with Python, MATLAB, or other scientific computing languages.
  • Experience applying machine learning in aerospace.

About the company

A

Advanced Space

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Advanced Space delivers software and services to enable sustainable space exploration, development, and settlement through three offerings: Mission Enabling Services, Technology Solutions, and Mission Solutions. Its approach combines mission design, systems engineering, and flight optimization with AI/ML/autonomy tools and flight-proven applications, plus rapid turnkey missions and data/capability purchases. It differentiates itself by offering end-to-end mission design with flight-demonstrated AI and autonomy, plus active program execution as the operator of CAPSTONE and a prime contractor for Oracle for AFRL. Its goal is to enable reliable, mission-ready capabilities for the Moon, Mars, and beyond to support long-term space settlement.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Grant

Total Funding

$800K

Headquarters

Westminster, null

Founded

2011

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • Performance Bonus
  • Relocation Assistance

Company News

Utah State University
Sep 22nd, 2026
Space Dynamics lab to provide Deep Space communications for NASA Moon mission.

Space Dynamics lab to provide Deep Space communications for NASA Moon mission. September 22, 2026 NORTH LOGAN - Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory announced at the 40th Annual Small Satellite Conference that it has been selected by Advanced Space LLC to provide deep space communications and time-keeping technology for NASA's CAPSTONE 02 mission. This technology demonstration will further develop autonomous navigation, spacecraft-to-spacecraft communications, and proximity operations around the Moon in support of NASA's Artemis and Moon Base programs. Building on the success of the original CAPSTONE mission, launched in 2022, SDL will design, manufacture, and test two flight-qualified Iris Radios and associated communication, navigation, and precise timekeeping hardware for CAPSTONE 02's twin 400-kilogram small satellites. SDL's radios will provide direct-to-Earth connectivity as well as an additional spacecraft-to-spacecraft link, enabling the spacecraft to communicate directly with one another. This will enable new capabilities for autonomous operations in a lunar orbit. CAPSTONE 02 expands on technologies first demonstrated during the original CAPSTONE mission, which successfully validated a near-rectilinear halo orbit, a fuel-efficient path around the Moon that repeatedly brings a spacecraft close to the lunar surface before carrying it thousands of kilometers away, making it ideal for future lunar exploration missions. It also demonstrated Advanced Space's Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System, or CAPS, navigation software. CAPSTONE 02 will use two spacecraft operating in cislunar space, the region between Earth and the Moon, to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous and proximity operation, spacecraft-to-spacecraft communications, and advanced navigation techniques that reduce reliance on continuous tracking from Earth. "CAPSTONE was a true pathfinding mission that proved small satellites can accomplish big objectives beyond Earth's orbit in lunar space. The Iris Radio on CAPSTONE continues to provide the reliable communications link and precision navigation and time-keeping capabilities that enabled mission controllers to reliably command and control the spacecraft and relay critical data throughout the mission. CAPSTONE successfully validated capabilities and built critical infrastructure that are helping shape humanity's return to the Moon," said Tim Neilsen, branch head of Spacecraft Missions and Technologies for Civil and Commercial Space at SDL. "SDL will help CAPSTONE 02 take the next step by advancing how spacecraft can communicate and coordinate with one another, navigate more autonomously, and perform complex proximity operations around the Moon." SDL's Iris Radio is a software-defined telecommunications spacecraft subsystem designed specifically for missions operating beyond low-Earth orbit. Developed from technology created at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and transitioned to SDL for continued development and production, the radio is engineered to withstand the radiation and thermal extremes of deep space while providing continuous contact with NASA's Deep Space Network. The mission continues SDL's long history of supporting NASA exploration beyond Earth's orbit. In addition to supporting the original CAPSTONE mission, Iris Radios have flown on missions including MarCO, Lunar Flashlight, LICIACube, BioSentinel, LunaH-Map, NEA Scout, CuSP and ArgoMoon. CAPSTONE 02 is targeted for launch in late 2027. Headquartered at USU's Innovation Campus in North Logan, Utah, SDL is an independent nonprofit corporation owned by USU that solves technical challenges faced by the military, science community, and industry and supports NASA's vision to explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. SDL has field offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Chantilly, Virginia; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Huntsville, Alabama; Ogden, Utah; and Stafford, Virginia. For more information, visit sdl.usu.edu. The SDL-built Iris Radio will provide deep space communications and time-keeping technology for the CAPSTONE 02 mission. (Photo credit: SDL/Allison Bills.) An artist's rendering of NASA's CAPSTONE 02 spacecraft in lunar orbit. The mission features two identical small spacecraft that will carry SDL technology to support Artemis, Moon Base, and deep space exploration. (Image credit: Terran Orbital.) Contact. Eric Warren Director, Public Relations Space Dynamics Laboratory 435-881-8439 [email protected] Topics. Comments and questions regarding this article may be directed to the contact person listed on this page.

BroadcastPro ME
Apr 24th, 2024
Advanced Media expands operations to Abu Dhabi

Advanced Media expands operations to Abu Dhabi.

PR Newswire
Mar 21st, 2024
Advanced Space Demonstrates Artificial Intelligence For Spacecraft Autonomy At The Moon

SigmaZero Experiments for IARPA on CAPSTONE™WESTMINSTER, Colo., March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Advanced Space, LLC, a leading space tech solutions company announced the successful use of machine learning in cislunar space. The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE™) spacecraft has been busy testing new software that is laying the groundwork for a substantial and transformative advance in autonomous navigation in orbit.The SoftwareAs spaceflight activity continues to grow exponentially, automation is essential to safe, reliable operations -Nathan Ré Post this Advanced Space successfully showcased the use of machine learning onboard its CAPSTONE™ mission. The experiments marks the use of AI at the Moon. This is part of a study for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) under the MicroE4AI (Microelectronics for Artificial Intelligence) program. The program, SigmaZero, is a Neural Network (NN) enabled software suite that enables the detection of problems with spacecraft navigation.SigmaZero is a Neural Network (NN) enabled software suite that enables the detection of problems with spacecraft navigation – for example, identifying and labeling small accelerations that could drive the spacecraft off course if not accounted for correctly. More importantly, SigmaZero helps spacecraft perform vital activities like orbit determination in conditions where ground controllers are not readily available; this sort of capability will be needed to support the long-term exploration, development, and settlement of space

PR Newswire
Nov 17th, 2023
Advanced Space'S Capstone Operates One Year At The Moon

CAPSTONE Contributes to a Resilient U.S. Space Architecture in Cislunar SpaceWESTMINSTER, Colo., Nov. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Space, a leading space tech solutions company, announced today that their Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission has successfully operated on-orbit around the Moon for a full year. This milestone puts the company in an elite category logging over 365 days of continuous operations in the cislunar environment. As the first company to operate a commercial satellite at the Moon, Advanced Space has gained valuable insights around cislunar operations that can only come from hands-on experience.Advanced Space celebrates its Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) Mission's one-year orbiting the Moon. This mission for NASA will help inform future operations for the Gateway lunar space station that will support NASA's Artemis missions

GlobeNewswire
Sep 19th, 2023
Advanced Space Hires Dave Jungkind As Chief Revenue Officer

Westminster, Colorado, Sept. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Space, LLC, a leading space tech solutions company today announced the appointment of Dave Jungkind as the company’s first Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). In this capacity, Jungkind will be responsible for the continued growth of the Advanced Space portfolio supporting national security, civil, and commercial customers. Jungkind brings over 30 years of industry experience as a trusted strategist, technologist and leader. As an integral member of the leadership team, Dave will lead the business development, sales, and marketing teams as well as directly manage national security programs.   “We are very excited to welcome Dave to our team. He brings a wealth of technical expertise as well as managerial experience that will be critical to our mission to enable the sustainable exploration, development and settlement of space” said Bradley Cheetham, CEO and President of Advanced Space