Far Horizons Undergraduate Intern

Adler Planetarium; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 25,000 - 28,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Base Pay $18.02/hr

Vacation days: 7–25 hours workweek

Sick days: 3 (up to 6.5 per year)

Retirement Savings Plan

Adler 403B match (100% vested)

Free museum entrance

Employee assistance programs

Job summary

The Adler Planetarium invites three Far Horizons Undergraduate Interns to join our team on Chicago's Museum Campus. You will design, build, and test a star-tracker prototype for the Rapid Deployment Stratospheric UV Observatory, combining astronomy, optics, electronics, embedded computing, software, and data analysis.

Work includes assembling the prototype, developing software for image acquisition and astrometric solving, testing under realistic conditions, and assisting with high-altitude

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Active undergraduate enrollment in Illinois, or Illinois resident enrolled in an undergraduate program in engineering, computer science, physics, astronomy, or related STEM field.
• Basic quantitative and computer skills appropriate to an undergraduate STEM student.
• Demonstrated interest in hands-on technical, scientific, or engineering work through coursework, projects, clubs, hobbies, employment, or other activities.
• Ability and willingness to learn programming, electronics, optical instrumentation, data analysis, and scientific testing; prior experience with star trackers or astronomical instrumentation is not required.

Responsibilities

• Developing hardware and software design of a prototype star tracker, including camera, optics, computer, sensors, mounting, power, thermal, and interfaces.
• Assembling and configuring the prototype and integrating software for image acquisition, star identification, astrometric solutions, inertial data, data logging, and flight computer communication.
• Conducting laboratory and night-sky tests to measure sensitivity, pointing accuracy, solution rate, optical performance, motion effects, thermal behavior, and reliability; analyzing data and improving design.
• Participating in launch, tracking, and recovery of a high-altitude balloon flight to test the star tracker, and documenting design, test procedures, results, and recommendations.

Skills

Python

Raspberry Pi

Arduino

Linux

Data analysis

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Raspberry Pi

Arduino

Job description

The Adler Planetarium connects people to the universe and each other. Whether introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, the Adler's focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.

Today, the museum typically hosts close to 400,000 visitors annually and reaches millions more through youth STEAM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach efforts. With the Adler's support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to learn more about science and space discovery, and to explore their universe together under the sky we all share.

The Position

The Adler Planetarium is seeking three Far Horizons Undergraduate Interns to join our dynamic team on Chicago's Museum Campus. The interns will work with the Far Horizons team to design, build, and test a prototype star tracker for the Adler's Rapid Deployment Stratospheric UV Observatory. A star tracker is a camera-based navigation instrument that images the sky, identifies stars in its field of view, and uses their positions to determine the instrument's pointing direction.

The project combines astronomy, optical instrumentation, electronics, embedded computing, software, data analysis, and hands‑on engineering. The interns will assemble a working prototype, develop and integrate software for image acquisition and astrometric solving, characterize its performance under realistic conditions, and use test results to improve the design. The prototype will be tested both on the ground and aboard a high‑altitude balloon launched and recovered with the Far Horizons team.

This individual (as part of the team) will also be responsible for:

• Developing the hardware and software design of a prototype star tracker, including camera, optics, computer, sensors, mechanical mounting, power, thermal considerations, and system interfaces.
• Assembling and configuring the prototype and integrating software for image acquisition, star identification, astrometric solutions, inertial‑sensor data, data logging, and communication of pointing information to a flight computer.
• Conducting laboratory and night‑sky tests to measure sensitivity, pointing accuracy, solution rate, optical performance, motion effects, thermal behavior, and reliability; analyzing test data and making design improvements.
• Participating in preparation, launch, tracking, and recovery of a high‑altitude balloon flight used to test the star tracker, and documenting the design, test procedures, results, and recommendations for future development.

The internship is expected to run through the 2026-27 academic year. Work will primarily take place at the Adler Planetarium for approximately six hours on Saturdays, with approximately two additional hours of remote or independent work during the week. The internship is designed as a sustained engineering project of approximately 240 hours per Intern. Some night‑sky testing will be required, and at least one high‑altitude balloon mission will take place from a field location in the Chicago region during the internship.

The Work Schedule

The typical work schedule for this position is 8 hours per week, from 10 AM to 4 PM, with a flextime and telecommuting option—1 day a week telecommuting and 1 day onsite at the museum.

The Compensation & Benefits (Part-Time)

• Base Pay Range: $18.02/hr
• Work-Life Balance
• 7 to 25-hour workweek
• Eligible to accrue up to 6 vacation days per year
• 3 sick days as of date of hire (can accrue up to 6.5 days per year)
• Eligible to earn time and a half for working on any of the 7 Adler-observed holidays
• Paid Family Bereavement Leave & Jury Duty
• Retirement Savings Plan
• 403B plan with Adler match
• Adler match is 100% vested immediately
• Eligible to enroll as of the date of hire
• Network of Support through our EAP programs
• Resources to help address emotional, legal, and financial issues
• Face‑to‑face, telephonic, and web‑based services
• Free subscription to the Calm Premium app
• Employee Loan Program
• Discounted Onsite Parking Program
• Free Entrance to Chicago area museums and cultural institutions

The Person

The ideal Far Horizons Undergraduate Intern is curious about how scientific instruments work and interested in applying science, programming, and engineering to a real research problem. This may include interest or experience in engineering, computer science, physics, astronomy, robotics, or related STEM fields. They are eager to build and test hardware, work with data, troubleshoot problems systematically, and learn new technical skills along the way. The Intern should be detail-oriented, resourceful, open to feedback, and able to work collaboratively as part of a small project team.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Active enrollment in an undergraduate program in Illinois, or an Illinois resident enrolled in an undergraduate program in engineering, computer science, physics, astronomy, or a related STEM field.
• Basic quantitative and computer skills appropriate to an undergraduate STEM student
• Demonstrated interest in hands‑on technical, scientific, or engineering work through coursework, projects, clubs, hobbies, employment, or other activities.
• Ability and willingness to learn programming, electronics, optical instrumentation, data analysis, and scientific testing; prior experience with star trackers or astronomical instrumentation is not required

Preferred Qualifications

• Some experience with Python or another programming language
• Experience with Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or similar computers or microcontrollers
• Experience with electronics, sensors, mechanical assembly, prototyping, or instrumentation
• Familiarity with Linux, image or data analysis, and/or observational astronomy
• Ability to follow technical procedures, troubleshoot problems systematically, and clearly document engineering and scientific work

Funding for these positions is provided through a federal grant from NASA and the Illinois Space Grant Consortium. A condition of employment under this federal grant is the ability to provide proof of U.S. citizenship at the time of hire.

The Adler Planetarium is dedicated to complying with its Equal Opportunity employer obligations. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email the Human Resources Department [e-mail] let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Accommodation requests will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis.