Design, manufacture, and test custom RF systems for spacecraft. Responsibilities include selecting RF components, running simulations and link budgets, creating validation plans, developing RF schematics and layouts, supporting manufacturing, and conducting bench testing and system bring-up. The intern will collaborate with RF, avionics, software, and mechanical engineers and use CST, HFSS, and ADS for RF front-end design.
As an RF Engineering Intern, your core responsibility will be to design,
manufacture and test custom RF systems. You will work with RF engineers,
avionics engineers, software engineers, and mechanical engineers. You will have
the opportunity to contribute to various aspects of spacecraft RF system
development, including component selection, bench testing, system bringup, and
manufacturing.
*This internship is 12 weeks long from May/June through August/September 2027
*This internship is 12 weeks long from May/June through August/September 2027
Responsibilities
- Evaluate and select RF components from various vendors for system integration
- Run simulations and generate link budgets for early-stage wireless designs
- Design and execute validation plans for RF system designs
- Work on RF schematics, layout, and manufacturing for test and/or flight products
- Utilize simulation software including CST, HFSS, and ADS to design RF front end components
Minimum Qualifications
- Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s or master's program for Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related area.
- Experience troubleshooting PCBs at the board or system level
- Understanding of RF and microwave concepts such as transmission lines, S-parameters, amplifiers, splitters, etc.
- Familiarity working hands-on in a lab with test equipment
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Python scripting experience
- Previous usage of simulation tools such as ADS, CST, HFSS, etc.
- Experience working with test setups for PAs, LNAs, or filters
- Experience working on a team with a mix of hardware and software
- engineers
- Experience with Altium Designer
Additional Requirements:
- Willing and able to work on-site in Redondo Beach, CA for the duration of the internship
- This role may require overtime hours; interns are eligible for overtime pay.
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
Impulse Space El Segundo, California, USA Office
El Segundo, CA, United States, 90245
Similar Jobs
Aerospace • Software
Supports automated RF test development, laboratory bring-up, hardware integration, characterization, troubleshooting, and validation for spacecraft communication hardware. Develops Python-based test scripts, operates RF test equipment, analyzes performance data, documents verification procedures, and collaborates with RF, avionics, software, and manufacturing engineers. The 12-week internship is conducted onsite in Redondo Beach, California.
Top Skills:
AdsAltium DesignerCstHfssMatlabOscilloscopesPower MetersPythonPyvisaRf Test AutomationS-ParametersScpiSignal GeneratorsSpectrum AnalyzersVector Network Analyzers
Defense • Manufacturing
Support analysis, design, testing, measurement, and qualification of RF and microwave hardware for spacecraft. Operate antenna measurement systems, conduct environmental testing, perform development and production tests, and collaborate with engineers, technicians, managers, customers, and other stakeholders to integrate RF work into satellite systems.
Top Skills:
Anechoic ChambersAnsys Electronics Desktop HfssCadence Awr Microwave OfficeEmi/Emc TestingFiltersHigh-Speed ConvertersKa BandLow-Noise AmplifiersMicrowave ElectronicsNear-Field ScannersPhased Array AntennasPower AmplifiersRadiation TestingRfS-ParametersShock TestingSpectrum AnalyzersThermal Vacuum TestingUhfVector Network AnalyzersVibration Testing
.png){kind=logo}
Aerospace • Hardware • Software • Database • Defense • Industrial
Supports RF hardware design, prototype fabrication, antenna and active RF circuit characterization, integrated RF testing, troubleshooting, and performance optimization. Collaborates with electrical, RF, mechanical, manufacturing, and software engineers from concept through production. Provides technical support to regulatory and site operations teams while gaining hands-on experience with RF test equipment, antenna systems, PCB design, and electromagnetic simulation tools.
Top Skills:
AdsAltiumCstFekoHfssMicrowave OfficeNetwork AnalyzersPythonSpectrum Analyzers
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
