Space Robotics Mechanisms Intern

Generalastro; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 41,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

General Astronautics is seeking Mechanical Engineering Interns for Summer 2027 to design, build, and test robotic hardware for orbital inspection, repair, and assembly. This role covers mechanism design, CAD, analysis, prototyping, testing, and integration of joints, end effectors, structures, and electromechanical assemblies.

You will own a mechanism from requirements through testing, develop CAD models, perform hand calculations and FEA, build prototypes, and contribute to flight-ready

Qualifications

• Enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in engineering, physics, computer science, or math by the start of employment.
• GPA of 3.5 or above.
• 6+ months of hands-on technical work outside the classroom through research, project teams, personal builds, or prior internships.
• Strong fundamentals in prototyping, order-of-magnitude estimation, and hand calculations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work alongside engineers, technicians, and the founding team.

Responsibilities

• Own a mechanism or subassembly from requirements and trade studies through detailed design, prototyping, and testing.
• Develop CAD models and engineering drawings, including material selection, tolerances, and assembly processes.
• Perform hand calculations and FEA to evaluate structural margins and validate designs across expected load conditions.
• Build prototypes, test fixtures, and instrumentation to evaluate hardware performance.
• Write and execute test plans, analyze results, and use the findings to improve your designs.
• Support qualification and acceptance testing for parabolic flight and on-orbit demonstration hardware.
• Produce drawings, analysis reports, bills of materials, and assembly documentation that others can build from.
• Evaluate manufacturability, cost, and design risk, and work with the team to integrate your hardware with the robot, payload, and vehicle.

Skills

Prototyping

Estimation

Hand calculations

Communication

Ownership

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/physics/CS/math

GPA 3.5+

Tools

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

MATLAB

Ansys

Job description

General Astronautics is seeking Mechanical Engineering Interns for Summer 2027 to design, build, and test robotic hardware for orbital inspection, repair, and assembly. This role covers mechanism design, CAD, analysis, prototyping, testing, and integration of joints, end effectors, structures, and electromechanical assemblies.

You will own a mechanism from requirements through testing, develop CAD models, perform hand calculations and FEA, build prototypes, and contribute to flight-ready