Fall Optical Terminals & Space Networking Internship

The Role

Engineering interns will work directly on our optical terminals for space-based laser communications and our networking service that connects satellites into a space network.

• Design and implement optical transceiver FPGA firmware
• Build a space network simulator
• Design and fabricate test fixtures or mechanical subsystems for optical terminal prototypes or their test fixtures
• Build high speed optoelectronic communication test equipment
• Write embedded flight software

• How optical terminals work: from photonics and beam steering to link acquisition and tracking
• How space networking differs from terrestrial networking: delay, disruption, orbital dynamics, and protocol design
• How to take a technical project from various start stages to end stages: from scoping through implementation to integration with a production system
• How to interact with professionals as part of a small, focused engineering team that ships hardware and software for space

• Demonstrated ability to build things: personal projects, research, coursework, or prior internships where you wrote code, designed hardware, or ran experiments that produced tangible results
• Strong fundamentals in at least one of: embedded systems and FPGA development, software engineering (C, C++, Python, or Rust), optical or mechanical design, electrical engineering, information theory, or networking and simulation
• Ability to work on-site in El Segundo, CA or Oakland, CA for a minimum of 3 months, 3 days a week
• Must be a US person (15 CFR 772.1)

• Prior experience with FPGA development (Verilog, VHDL, or System Verilog)
• Familiarity with optical systems, laser communications, or free-space optics
• Experience with network simulation tools or protocol design
• Exposure to space systems engineering, orbital mechanics, or flight software
• Experience with CAD tools (Solid Works, NX) or PCB design (Altium, KiCad)

You will be assigned a mentor who works on the product area closest to your project. You will have regular check-ins and direct access to them for technical guidance. Before you start, we will meet to understand your strengths and growth goals and come up with a project for you. You are expected to scope your project, execute, and present your results to the team at the end of the internship.

• Salary: $70,400 annual salary, prorated for length of internship
• Comprehensive health care coverage

On-site, 3 days a week minimum: you will work alongside the engineering team in the office and lab. Space hardware development requires hands-on presence. Small team environment with direct access to founders and senior engineers. Your work will be on production systems, not a side project.

Ephemeris Net is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.