Environmental Test Engineer Associate (Fall 2026)

Astranis; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 77,952 - 97,222; Full time

Job summary

Astranis is seeking an Environmental Test Engineer Associate in San Francisco, CA. This 12-week associate position is an opportunity for new graduates to work on meaningful projects in satellite hardware and software testing. Responsibilities include operating test equipment and conducting various environmental tests. Candidates should have a degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, strong communication skills, and a passion for hardware development. The role requires onsite presence 5 days a week, and the base salary is $1,925 per week.

Qualifications

• A passion for hardware development in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize effectively.
• Familiarity with spacecraft systems and operation required.

Responsibilities

• Work on an interdisciplinary team to design, build, and test satellite hardware and software.
• Operate and set up environmental test equipment including thermal chambers and vibration shaker tables.
• Conduct environmental testing including vibration, acoustics, and thermal.

Skills

Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Communication Skills

Hardware Development

Education

Four-year degree in Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Python

CAD

Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.

Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Environmental Test Engineer Associate (Fall 2026)

Associate Engineer positions typically last for twelve weeks, and are salaried roles designed for students who have already received a bachelor's degree (or who will have done so before working at Astranis).

As an Associate Engineer, you will have an amazing opportunity to work on hard problems — we pride ourselves on giving everyone at Astranis a chance to do meaningful work on challenging projects, and our Associate Engineers work on projects that are of equal importance and difficulty to the projects we give our full-time employees. Many past Associate Engineers have designed and tested hardware/software that is currently in space or heading to space shortly on one of our satellites, and many of them are now full-time employees at Astranis.

Role

• Work on an interdisciplinary team to design, build, and test satellite hardware and software.

• Operate and set up environmental test equipment including:

  • Ambient thermal chambers

  • Thermal Vacuum Chambers (TVAC)
  • Vibration shaker tables
  • EMI/EMC test equipment

• Learn to use various pieces of test equipment and instruments (thermal chambers, vibration tables, DAQs, oscilloscopes, etc.) to successfully execute test plans.

• Set up, operate, and conduct environmental testing including vibration, acoustics, thermal, thermal vacuum, RF.

Requirements

• Have a four-year degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent technical degree).

• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands‑on design and development.

• Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize time effectively.

• Strong communication skills.

• Familiarity with spacecraft systems and operation.

• Must be onsite 5 days a week.

Bonus

• Hands‑on experience in designing, building, and testing.

• Experience writing Python code to interface with test equipment, process large datasets, visualize data.

• Experience in CAD.

• Direct electrical or mechanical design experience.

• Demonstrated ability to debug hardware and software problems under time pressure.

Base salary: $1,925 per week.

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required (To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)).

Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.