Summer 2027 Internship - Thermal & Manufacturing Engineering

Wanna Join the Adventure?
Loft Orbital is looking for a Thermal & Manufacturing Engineering Intern to join our team in Golden, Colorado for Summer 2027. You’ll work alongside our Mission Engineering & Analysis and Assembly, Integration & Test (AIT) teams to improve how thermal interface materials are selected, prepared, and used in spacecraft assembly.
This internship offers hands-on experience at the intersection of materials, mechanical engineering, and manufacturing. You’ll work directly with AIT technicians and engineers, taking your work from CAD drawings to physical parts used on satellites. You’ll take a process improvement from initial experiments through validation and documentation, then see it used in spacecraft assembly.

About This Role

As a Thermal & Manufacturing Engineering Intern, you’ll help develop and validate a workflow for preparing thermal interface materials, including gap pads, thermal tapes, and graphite sheets. These materials help transfer heat between spacecraft components, and their preparation requires attention to accuracy, cleanliness, and handling.
Depending on team priorities, you may:

Plan and conduct trials to compare materials and cutting methods, including laser cutting, digital knife cutting, and die-cutting
Evaluate cut quality, dimensional accuracy, material handling, and contamination risks
Develop a repeatable workflow from CAD drawings to cut parts and assembly-ready kits
Help establish drawing and DXF file conventions, document cutting settings, and define inspection steps
Develop approaches for labeling, protective liners, packaging, and handling to simplify assembly
Create work instructions and inspection checklists in collaboration with engineering and AIT teams
Present findings and recommend materials and processes that balance thermal requirements with practical manufacturing needs

What We’re Looking For

Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field; undergraduate students must be rising juniors or rising seniors
Proficiency with SolidWorks or equivalent CAD software and ability to create clear engineering drawings
Hands-on fabrication or test experience through projects, research, internships, or shop/lab work
Ability to plan structured experiments, record data, and analyze results using Python, Excel, or similar tools
Strong written communication skills, including documenting procedures and findings
Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and a passion for space

Nice to Haves

Familiarity with Python scripting
Foundational knowledge of heat transfer and thermal principles
Awareness of cleanroom practices, electrostatic discharge (ESD), and contamination control
Exposure to spaceflight hardware through coursework, research, projects, or internships

During Your Internship, You Can Expect To

Gain hands-on, real-world experience supporting spacecraft engineering and manufacturing
Receive mentorship and feedback from your mentor, manager, and teammates
Collaborate across engineering and AIT teams and see how your work supports satellite assembly
Participate in events to learn about other parts of Loft
Share your work, findings, and recommendations 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