Summer 2027 Internship – Mechanical Engineering

The role

You will work with the Mechanical Engineering team on the design and development of hardware for satellite missions. The internship gives you ownership of a real project, from early requirements through detailed design, analysis and possibly prototyping.

What you will do

• Translate project needs into mechanical requirements and design constraints
• Develop concepts and detailed 3D CAD models for satellite hardware
• Perform structural analysis and support design validation
• Create engineering drawings, including dimensions and tolerances
• Coordinate with electrical, systems, manufacturing and other engineering stakeholders
• Support prototyping, manufacturing and design iteration
• Contribute to mechanical engineering standards, documentation and best practices
• Present your work and key learnings at the end of the internship

Required qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or a related field
• Undergraduate students must be rising juniors or rising seniors
• Experience with CAD or 3D modeling through coursework, projects, research or internships
• Foundational understanding of mechanical design and analysis
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills
• Curiosity, initiative and interest in hands-on spacecraft hardware development

Nice to have

• Hands-on machining, manufacturing or prototyping experience
• Exposure to electronics packaging or mechanical design around electrical components
• Experience in multidisciplinary teams such as robotics, Formula SAE, rocketry or CubeSat
• Experience leading a school, club or technical project
• Previous internship, aerospace or other relevant hands-on engineering experience

Benefits

• Daily catered lunches and snacks
• Housing or relocation support for interns traveling from outside the local area
• Ongoing mentorship and feedback from your mentor and manager
• Work across engineering disciplines and learn how mechanical systems integrate into a spacecraft
• Build relationships with fellow interns and Loft employees

Before you apply

• Undergraduate applicants must be rising juniors or rising seniors
• The company may use AI tools to support parts of the hiring process; final decisions are made by humans

About the company

Loft Orbital was founded in 2017 and provides governments, companies and research institutions with missions in orbit as a service. It has offices in San Francisco, Golden and Toulouse, France.