Flight Dynamics Intern

At Astro Forge, our mission is to make space resources accessible on Earth. We mine asteroids to extract valuable minerals in space at a lower cost and smaller carbon footprint than current terrestrial mining methods. By joining the team at AF you’ll have the opportunity to work side by side with our amazing engineering and science teams. This position will provide you with valuable skills, experience, and mentorship necessary to become a leading professional in your field.

We offer a unique opportunity to join an exciting team looking to expand humanity’s capabilities in space.

As a Flight Dynamics Intern, you will be responsible for developing trajectories, automated software tool chains, and analysis to support interplanetary mission planning, orbit determination, and spacecraft operations. You will work under the mentorship of our flight dynamics and operations engineers to support both pre‑flight and flight phases for multiple spacecraft that are pushing the boundaries of what’s been done before.

• Must be a rising senior in undergrad or enrolled in graduate studies (at the time of the internship).
• Enrollment in an accredited college or university, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Must not be otherwise employed for the duration of the internship
• 18 years or older.
• Must be eligible to work in an ITAR compliant environment

• Willingness to own a project in a fast-paced startup environment
• Demonstrated problem‑solving and critical thinking skills
• Working knowledge of calculus and linear algebra
• Proficiency with Python
• Currently pursuing a degree in engineering or a STEM-related field

• Strong orbital dynamics background
• Experience with numerical optimization (e.g. nonlinear programming, fmincon, SNOPT)
• Experience with mission analysis and simulation tools (e.g. STK, GMAT, Basilisk, pykep)
• Experience with databases and query‑based visualization (e.g. Grafana, Kibana)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Location:

Onsite in Seal Beach

Pay Rate: $30.00 per hour

Duration: 10 weeks

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S.,protected individual as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15) or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.