Test Engineering Interns will develop and deliver hardware and software supporting satellite test and ground-support systems. Responsibilities include designing monitoring hardware, building GUIs, maintaining test-operation software, integrating telemetry and test equipment, working from engineering requirements, participating in design reviews, and documenting and testing completed products. Interns may also gain exposure to satellite testing, environmental testing, and spacecraft operations while receiving mentorship and presenting their work.
Wanna Join the Adventure?
Loft Orbital is looking for a Test Engineering Intern to join our team in Golden, Colorado for Summer 2027. You’ll work alongside our Test Engineering team on hands-on hardware and software projects that support how we build, test, and operate satellite systems.
This internship is designed to give you meaningful ownership of real engineering work. Rather than supporting isolated tasks, you’ll take projects from requirements through design, review, implementation, and final delivery while learning how hardware, software, and test systems come together in a production satellite environment.
About This Role
- Designing and building a hardware system to remotely monitor satellite battery voltage through our ground-support equipment
- Developing a graphical user interface (GUI) to simplify and support solar array deployment testing
- Writing and maintaining software used to support test operations and engineering workflows
- Integrating hardware, software, telemetry, and test equipment into usable engineering tools
- Working from defined engineering requirements and developing solutions that meet those requirements
- Presenting your designs through Preliminary Design Reviews (PDRs) and Critical Design Reviews (CDRs)
- Documenting, testing, and delivering completed hardware and software products for continued team use
As a Test Engineering Intern, you’ll own a mix of hardware and software development projects supporting satellite test and ground-support systems.
Current project areas may include:
In addition to your primary projects, you may also have opportunities to gain exposure to satellite testing on the production floor, environmental testing, and other aspects of spacecraft operations.
What We’re Looking For
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering Physics, or a related technical field; undergraduate students must be rising juniors or rising seniors
- Programming experience with Python or a similar language
- Foundational understanding of electrical concepts, including voltage, current, and circuits
- Strong problem-solving and communication skills
- Curiosity and interest in working across both hardware and software
Nice to Haves
- Hands-on experience through internships, research, engineering clubs, or student projects
- Exposure to electrical hardware, RF systems, or test equipment
- Experience building GUIs, software tools, or other applications
- Previous aerospace, satellite, or space-industry exposure
During Your Internship, You Can Expect To
- Own real hardware and software projects that support Loft’s satellite test operations
- Work through an engineering development lifecycle from requirements through design reviews and final delivery
- Receive ongoing mentorship and feedback from your mentor and manager
- Gain hands-on exposure to satellite hardware, test systems, and engineering workflows
- Learn from teams across Loft and gain exposure to different parts of the organization
- Build relationships with fellow interns and Loft employees
- Present your work and key learnings at the end of the internship
Compensation & Logistics
- Hourly compensation: $30.00/hour
- Timing: Full-time, 10–12 week Summer 2027 internship. Start and end dates will be coordinated based on school schedule and team availability.
- Location: On-site in Golden, Colorado
- Relocation: Loft offers housing/relocation support for interns traveling from outside the local area.
- In-office perks: Daily catered lunches and snacks
Who We Are: Founded in 2017, Loft provides governments, companies, and research institutions with a fast, reliable, and simple way to deploy missions in orbit.
We integrate, launch, and operate spacecraft, offering end-to-end missions as a service across Earth observation, IoT connectivity, on-orbit AI, national security missions, and more. Leveraging our existing space infrastructure and an extensive inventory of satellite buses, Loft is reducing years-long integration and launch timelines to months. With more than 30 missions flown, Loft’s flight heritage and proven technologies enable customers to focus on their mission objectives.
With a growing fleet on track to reach 30 satellites by 2027, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France to meet accelerating demand for space infrastructure.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
Similar Jobs
Aerospace • Hardware • Software • Defense
Supports electronics testing in laboratory environments, including test planning, test system and fixture development, setup assembly, prototype and qualification testing, troubleshooting, data analysis, quality inspections, and root cause analysis. The intern collaborates with engineers and technicians, documents results, and presents findings to peers, mentors, and leadership.
Top Skills:
AdcsAntennasDacsDigital OscilloscopesEmbedded CLabviewMatlabMixed-Signal HardwarePythonRf HardwareRf Signal GeneratorsSpectrum AnalyzersSQLVector Signal Analyzers
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • Security • Software • Cybersecurity
Own full-lifecycle recruiting by sourcing, screening, assessing, and closing candidates across multiple business organizations. Build talent pipelines, partner with leaders on hiring plans, improve candidate and interview experiences, refine recruiting processes, train interview teams, and use Greenhouse ATS expertise. Manage multiple roles independently, adapt recruiting strategies, and promote the company’s value proposition to candidates.
Top Skills:
Greenhouse
Cloud • Computer Vision • Information Technology • Sales • Security • Cybersecurity
Leads strategy, roadmap, investment, and execution for horizontal AI capabilities, shared AI platforms, and AI-native cybersecurity products. Translates AI research into reliable, secure, scalable customer solutions; drives adoption across product teams; establishes launch and autonomy criteria; partners with customers and cross-functional leaders on commercialization; and builds a high-performing AI product organization.
Top Skills:
Ai InfrastructureArtificial IntelligenceAutonomous SystemsCybersecurityDistributed SystemsMachine Learning
What you need to know about the Colorado Tech Scene
With a business-friendly climate and research universities like CU Boulder and Colorado State, Colorado has made a name for itself as a startup ecosystem. The state boasts a skilled workforce and high quality of life thanks to its affordable housing, vibrant cultural scene and unparalleled opportunities for outdoor recreation. Colorado is also home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, helping cement its status as a hub for renewable energy innovation.
Key Facts About Colorado Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 260,000; 8.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Lockheed Martin, Century Link, Comcast, BAE Systems, Level 3
- Key Industries: Software, artificial intelligence, aerospace, e-commerce, fintech, healthtech
- Funding Landscape: $4.9 billion in VC funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Access Venture Partners, Ridgeline Ventures, Techstars, Blackhorn Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Denver, Colorado State University, Mesa Laboratory, Space Science Institute, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Gottlieb Institute
