Flight Dynamics Intern
AstroForge
Seal Beach, CA, USA
USD 30-30 / hour
Posted on Oct 30, 2025
Flight Dynamics Intern
Seal Beach
Space Systems
In office
Full-time
About AstroForge
At AstroForge, 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.
Job Description
As a Flight Dynamics Intern, you will be responsible for developing trajectories, automated software toolchains, 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.
Basic Qualifications
- Currently pursuing a degree in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or another STEM-related field.
- Enrollment in an accredited college or university, with a GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Must be a rising senior.
- Must not be otherwise employed for the duration of the internship.
- Must be 18 years or older.
- Proof of US Citizenship or Permanent Residency.
Responsibilities
- Develop and analyze spacecraft trajectories for interplanetary missions.
- Build or enhance automation scripts and pipelines to support mission planning and operations.
- Assist with orbit determination and maneuver planning for flight spacecraft.
- Support simulations to validate mission feasibility and optimize performance.
- Contribute to visualization dashboards and reporting tools for real-time flight dynamics data.
- Document models, assumptions, and analyses for internal review and operations use.
Required Skills & Qualifications
- 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
Preferred Skills
- Strong background in orbital mechanics or flight dynamics.
- Experience with numerical optimization (e.g., fmincon, SNOPT).
- Familiarity with mission planning tools such as STK, GMAT, Basilisk, or pykep.
- Experience working with databases or dashboard tools (e.g., Grafana, Kibana).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Location: Onsite in Seal Beach
Pay Rate: $30.00 per hour
Duration: 10 weeks
ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant 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.
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Req ID: R77