Intern, Launch Engineering 2027

Mission

Mission Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space‑based solar energy. The company is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects—from orbit to Earth.

Background

Cowboy Space Corporation is building modular, scalable satellites that collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space‑to‑earth and space‑to‑space), powering on‑orbit high‑performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high‑bandwidth optical data transport. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company has raised approximately $365 million from investors such as Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and NEA. The team includes alumni of SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis, and NASA.

About the Role

Cowboy Space builds its own launch vehicle in Kent, Washington. This hands‑on hardware internship places you on one of four launch‑vehicle teams. You will own a scoped piece of real work—a component, analysis, or test—taking it from definition through to a result the team uses, and you will present that result before the internship ends. The four tracks are:

• Powerpack: Turbopump components such as inducers, impellers, volutes, diffusers, turbine hardware, seals, and housings.
• Mechanisms: Separation systems, landing gear, aerodynamic control surfaces, and electromechanical actuation designed for reuse.
• Fluids: Valves, feedlines, manifolds, and pressure vessels that move propellant and gas to the engine.
• TCA & Thrusters: Injectors and thrust chambers where propellant becomes thrust.

Indicate in your application which track interests you and why; assignment depends on your background and team needs.

Responsibilities

• Bring creativity to every design challenge and own your work through to completion.
• Own a scoped component, analysis, or test task end‑to‑end under the direction of an experienced engineer.
• Produce CAD models and engineering drawings to ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards.
• Run analyses, including hand calculations and FEA, and compare predictions to test data.
• Work on the shop floor with machinists and technicians, seeing your part get made.
• Support component and engine testing: write instrumentation requests, take test‑day support shifts, and reduce data afterward.
• Troubleshoot hardware, participate in root‑cause discussions, and implement resulting changes.
• Present your work and results to the team at the end of the term.

Basic Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in a STEM field (Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or equivalent).
• Strong fundamentals in at least one of: fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structural mechanics, kinematics, or heat transfer.
• Proficiency with CAD (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, Creo, or Fusion 360).
• Comfort working hands‑on with hardware in a lab or shop and with test equipment.
• Collaborative, self‑directed working style and comfort with ambiguity.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience seeing a mechanical design through to physical hardware—built, assembled, and tested (coursework, competition teams, personal projects).
• Hands‑on prototyping, machining, brazing, or welding.
• Engineering drawings to ASME Y14.5 GD&T.
• Working knowledge of FEA tools (ANSYS, Nastran, or Abaqus).
• By track:
  • Powerpack – rotating machinery, turbomachinery, or rotordynamics coursework.
  • Mechanisms – mechanisms, actuators, or deployable structures.
  • Fluids – valves, pressure vessels, or fluid system sizing.
  • TCA & Thrusters – combustion, injectors, or propulsion test.
• Demonstrated ability to pick up an unfamiliar problem and close it out with minimal direction.

Compensation

• Quarter‑long internship paid $2,000 weekly.
• Daily lunch provided in the office.
• Fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks.

ITAR Requirements

Applicants must comply with U.S. Government space‑technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Eligible candidates are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or those who can obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.