Vehicle Operations Engineering Intern – Summer 2027

Employer description

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price — and with over $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers, we're mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.

The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today's and tomorrow's massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.

With multiple launches in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger — helping develop the solar system and build toward a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.

The Role 

We’re looking for a stellar Vehicle Operations Engineering Intern to join our team for a 3 month internship. You’ll join the team responsible for building, testing, and flying the vehicle, working with Design and Responsible Engineers to develop manufacturing methods, tooling, and build flows for spacecraft components, as well as support the integration and test of K2’s Mega class satellite systems. In this role you’ll gain hands-on experience developing and testing manufacturing techniques for large satellite structures, mechanisms, and integrated electronics; designing ground support equipment; expanding HITL tables; and executing test campaigns. This role offers broad exposure across subsystems, opportunities to improve manufacturability, efficiency, and reliability, and the chance to own impactful projects in K2’s highly collaborative environment.  

Responsibilities 

• Support HITL table maintenance and operations 

• Develop test procedures used to confirm spacecraft hardware and software flightworthiness 

• Investigate and troubleshoot vehicle issues and driver further actions to reduce future failures 

• Design, build, and rollout ground support equipment to enable new test components and capabilities   

• Develop innovative manufacturing systems for large spacecraft assemblies, including welded/bolted structures, mechanisms, and electrical subassemblies 

• Create custom tools and processes that integrate with our Manufacturing Execution System to support the manufacturing technologies you create 

• Demonstrate the advanced manufacturing techniques on prototypes, working with the design teams to iterate on the manufacturability of those parts 

• Develop the subassembly build flow and implementing on the production flow for the satellite 

• Get hands-on to build and integrate flight parts using your tooling 

• Partner with a team of advanced manufacturing engineers to perform R&D of novel manufacturing technologies for current and future spacecraft products 

Qualifications 

• Must be currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, or other relevant engineering discipline 

• 6+ months experience of technical engineering skills outside of the university setting classroom (eg: laboratory, research, extracurricular project teams, volunteering, personal projects or prior internship/work experience) 

Additional Requirements 

• Available for a minimum 12-week internship in person at our HQ in Torrance 

Nice to Have 

• Ability to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment, including frequent interactions with technicians, engineers, and managers 

• Experience testing and troubleshooting spacecraft and their related components and systems, including subsystem checkouts and system acceptance testing 

• Hands-on experience using electrical test equipment (PSU, Oscilloscope, DMM, etc.) 

• Experience working in a clean room and with ESD-sensitive equipment  

• Experience or exposure in a test or automation role  

• Experience in Python and/or Rust  

• Experience with Linux systems 

• Experience setting up a manufacturing/production floor for first article builds 

• Experience designing and implementing technologies for avionics subassembly manufacturing including wire harness manufacturing and PCBA/mechanical enclosure assembly 

• Experience designing tooling for mechanical subassemblies 

• Experience designing hardware for manufacturability 

• Experience with aerospace manufacturing standards such as torque specifications, welding standards, and quality assurance standards 

• Experience working in a high volume, rapid production environment 

• Experience...