Summer 2027 Internship – Thermal & Manufacturing Engineering

The role

You will help develop and test a workflow for preparing thermal interface materials used in spacecraft assembly. The work covers cutting trials, inspection, documentation and work instructions, moving from CAD drawings to parts used on satellites.

What you will do

• Plan and run trials comparing materials and cutting methods such as laser, digital knife and die-cutting
• Evaluate cut quality, dimensional accuracy, material handling and contamination risks
• Build a repeatable workflow from CAD drawings to cut parts and assembly-ready kits
• Set drawing and DXF file conventions, document cutting settings and define inspection steps
• Develop labeling, liner, packaging and handling approaches to simplify assembly
• Create work instructions and inspection checklists with engineering and AIT teams
• Present findings and recommend materials and processes

Required qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering or a related technical field
• Undergraduate students must be rising juniors or rising seniors
• Proficiency with SolidWorks or equivalent CAD software and clear engineering drawings
• Hands-on fabrication or test experience through projects, research, internships or shop/lab work
• Ability to plan structured experiments and analyze results using Python, Excel or similar tools
• Strong written communication skills, including documenting procedures and findings
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• A passion for space

Nice to have

• Familiarity with Python scripting
• Foundational knowledge of heat transfer and thermal principles
• Awareness of cleanroom practices, electrostatic discharge (ESD) and contamination control
• Exposure to spaceflight hardware through coursework, research, projects or internships

Benefits

• Housing and relocation support for interns traveling from outside the local area
• Daily catered lunches and snacks in the office
• Mentorship and feedback from your mentor, manager and teammates
• Collaboration across engineering and AIT teams
• Participation in events to learn about other parts of Loft
• Opportunity to share your work and recommendations at the end of the internship

Before you apply

• Undergraduate applicants must be rising juniors or rising seniors
• The AI tools may be used to support parts of the hiring process, with final decisions made by humans

About the company

Loft Orbital was founded in 2017 and provides governments, companies and research institutions a way to deploy missions in orbit. It integrates, launches and operates spacecraft, with offices in San Francisco, Golden and Toulouse.