Star-Tracker Engineering Intern (Remote & Hands-On)

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 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