Thermal Engineering Intern (Summer 2027)

Impulse Space; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

Impulse Space in Redondo Beach, CA offers a Thermal Engineering Internship to support thermal management of spacecraft from concept to flight. The 12-week program runs May/June to August/September 2027.

You will work with a fast-paced team to build and validate models, conduct tests, and document results while emphasizing ownership and hands-on CAD/analysis tool experience.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or science.
• Ability to take ownership and work well in a small team.
• Demonstrated understanding of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and maintenance of thermal models of spacecraft, systems, and components
• Support the determination of appropriate physical properties, environments, and boundary conditions
• Support the selection and design of thermal management hardware such as heat pipes, radiators, heaters, thermal paint, tape, and MLI
• Support thermal cycle and vacuum testing of components and spacecraft
• Analyze thermal test data to correlate models and improve model fidelity
• Collaborate with design engineers to implement effective thermal management strategies
• Support the evaluation of material properties and thermal requirements
• Document thermal analyses, designs, and test results
• On-site work in Redondo Beach, CA for the duration of the internship
• This position may require overtime hours; interns are eligible for overtime pay.

Skills

Heat transfer

Thermodynamics

Fluid mechanics

Ownership

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or science

Master's degree in engineering or science

Tools

Siemens Simcenter

ANSYS Thermal

MATLAB

Python

CAD software

Job description

Department: Internship

Location: Redondo Beach

Compensation: $30.00 / hour

As a Thermal Engineering Intern at Impulse, you will support thermal management of spacecraft from concept, analysis, and design, to implementation, testing, and flight while working closely with a fast-paced, agile team that strives to make a high-performance spacecraft from a clean sheet design.

*This internship is 12 weeks long from May/June to August/September 2027*

Responsibilities

• Support the development and maintenance of thermal models of spacecraft, systems, and components
• Support the determination of appropriate physical properties, environments, and boundary conditions
• Support the selection and design of thermal management hardware such as heat pipes, radiators, heaters, thermal paint, tape, and MLI
• Support thermal cycle and vacuum testing of components and spacecraft
• Analyze thermal test data to correlate models and improve model fidelity
• Collaborate with design engineers to implement effective thermal management strategies
• Support the evaluation of material properties and thermal requirements
• Document thermal analyses, designs, and test results

Minimum Qualifications

• Completion or working towards a bachelors or masters degree in engineering or science
• Ability to take project ownership and work well in a small team
• Demonstrated understanding of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Hands-on experience designing, building, and testing hardware
• Experience with thermal testing, vacuum testing, or temperature instrumentation
• Familiarity with CAD software and ability to learn new tools
• Experience with Siemens Simcenter, ANSYS Thermal, Thermal Desktop, or similar tools
• Experience with MATLAB, Python, or similar engineering analysis software

Additional Requirements

• Willing and able to work on-site in Redondo Beach, CA for the duration of the internship
• This position may require overtime hours; interns are eligible for overtime pay.

Additional Information

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.