Propulsion Engineer Intern

Relativity Space; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Relativity Space in Long Beach, CA invites a Propulsion Engineer Intern for the Summer 2024 Internship Program to help design, test, and manufacture our Aeon‑R engines. You’ll contribute across the full product lifecycle, from concept through qualification and flight, collaborating with propulsion, manufacturing, and software teams to iterate hardware and tests.

The role targets current undergrad or grad students in STEM with solid fundamentals and a drive to learn quickly, owning tasks and

Qualifications

• Current undergraduate or graduate student in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics field.
• Strong fundamentals in either fluid mechanics & thermodynamics, or structural design & analysis.
• Proven ownership and problem-solving abilities with teamwork experience.
• Demonstrated eagerness to learn and adapt in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Assist design, development, testing, and manufacturing of Relativity’s Aeon‑R engines.
• Contribute across the full product lifecycle from concept through qualification and flight.
• Collaborate with propulsion, manufacturing, and software teams to iterate hardware and test plans.

Skills

Ownership mindset

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Quick learning

Education

Enrollment in a STEM program

Tools

CAD software

CFD/FEA tools

Job description

\"At Relativity Space, we’re building rockets to serve today’s needs and tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Our Terran R vehicle will deliver customer payloads to orbit, meeting the growing demand for launch capacity. But that’s just the start. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock new opportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress that reaches beyond the known. Joining Relativity means becoming part of something where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. Here, you're not just executing tasks; you're solving problems that haven’t been solved before, helping develop a rocket, a factory, and a business from the ground up. Whether you’re in propulsion, manufacturing, software, avionics, or a corporate function, you’ll collaborate across teams, shape decisions, and see your work come to life in record time. Relativity is a place where creativity and technical rigor go hand in hand, and your voice will help define the stories we’re writing together. Now is a unique moment in time where it’s early enough to leave your mark on the product, the process, and the culture, but far enough along that Terran R is tangible and picking up momentum. The most meaningful work of your career is waiting. Join us.\"

About The Team

The Propulsion team at Relativity is focused on developing and delivering highly performant and manufacturable engines for Terran R. Engineers are responsible for the entire lifecycle of their parts, from initial design through production to qualification and flight. The team fosters a culture of bottoms-up decision-making, free from technical gatekeeping, where ownership and accountability are key at all levels. But designing engines with a quarter million pounds of thrust is just the beginning. As the flight configuration enters qualification, the team is now exploring modifications for future engines, including thrust upgrades, new cycles, and design for mass production.

About The Role

Relativity seeks a Propulsion Engineer Intern to join the Summer 2024 Internship Program. The Propulsion team at Relativity Space is responsible for the design, development, testing, and manufacturing of Relativity’s rocket engines. As a part of this team, you will help build, create, and iterate on the full product lifecycle of our Aeon‑R engines!

• Propulsion Integrated Design: The Propulsion Integrated Design team is responsible for the design, analysis, and development of engine integration hardware (the “glue” of the engine,) including primary and secondary structure, bellows, flex hoses, gimbals, manifolds, ducting, heatshield components, custom fittings, and more. In addition to component‑level hardware, the team owns engine layout and packaging, turning the 2D fluids schematic into a 3D reality by determining where and how every component is located and mounted, while managing configuration, interfaces, mass properties, engine loads, and collaboration with partner teams through assembly and test. If you are a well‑rounded mechanical engineer who wants to work across diverse hardware while getting deep experience in mechanical design, thermal/structural analysis, prototyping, benchtop testing, and iterative design/analysis/test cycles, you will fit in well on this team!
• Turbomachinery: The Turbomachinery team designs and develops the turbopumps that power the Aeon Engine. As a member of the team, you'll work on activities such as building 1D throughflow and CFD models for fluid passages and rotating blading, creating CAD models and performing structural analysis (from hand calculations to finite element analysis), or evaluating turbopump performance through test data review and resolving hardware issues during engine test campaigns.
• Combustion Devices: The Combustion Devices team designs and develops the combustion devices that power the Aeon Engine. Combustion devices are among the most thermally and structurally critical components in the engine, operating under extreme temperatures and pressures (we make controlled fire). As a member of the team, you’ll work as a responsible engineer, with cradle‑to‑grave ownership of your hardware from design through manufacturing to test. The RE role provides technical ownership at the component level: you’ll gain experience coordinating across disciplines and direct accountability for hardware decisions.
• Engine Systems & Test: On the Engine Systems & Test Team our work spans simulation & software tools; system‑level architecture, requirements, and interfaces; component & integrated system hotfire testing. In the test part of your role, you will serve as a Responsible Engineer for Aeon engine test articles, developing test plans, executing them with our Stennis test team, and troubleshooting technical puzzles along the way. On the systems side, you may support engine system analysis and simulation, trade studies, and defining interfaces with other groups

About You

• Current undergraduate or graduate student earning your degree in a science, engineering, technology, or mathematics field
• Strong engineering fundamentals in either fluid mechanics & thermodynamics, or structural design & analysis (not required to be proficient in all areas)
• Clear evidence of ownership, problem‑solving skills, and effective team collaboration from school or work experience
• Excitement & ability to learn quickly

Nice To Haves But Not Required

• Experience applying engineering fundamentals in thermodynamics, thermal, structural, and/or fluids to solve real‑world problems.
• Hands‑on experience manufacturing, integrating, or testing hardware.
• Working knowledge of liquid‑propellant rocket engines
• Experience with design and analysis software

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.