Propulsion Engineering Intern (Summer 2027)

Proven flight heritage. Built for the nation’s most critical missions. Rocketdyne has powered American launch and national security missions for generations. Today we build the propulsion, power, and communications that get this country’s most important systems where they need to go - and keep them there. If it flies, we power it. If it protects the nation, we deliver it. Real hardware. Real stakes. Start your career with the team that the nation depends on.

The Role We are looking for an Intern to join our In-Space Propulsion team in Redmond, WA for summer 2027. This is an opportunity to jump into real engineering work on flight programs with our experienced propulsion teams. As an intern, you will work with our monopropellant, bipropellant, electric propulsion, or valve engineering teams to drive hardware through test and delivery. In parallel, you and the team will analyze proposed improvements to manufacturing, design, and testing to predict impacts to production rate and propulsion system performance. You will also be in the room for customer discussions and technical reviews, giving you first-hand exposure to what customers need and how engineering teams respond. You will gain hands-on experience with how complex hardware gets built, reviewed, tested, and delivered while learning from experienced engineers in a complex, dynamic environment. This role is a strong fit for a rising fourth-year undergraduate to first-year graduate student who brings curiosity, initiative, and excitement for contributing to propulsion hardware that powers missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Professional Development Opportunities with Rocketdyne

• Project-based, direct professional experience in your field of study.
• Working under guidance of experienced engineering and design professionals, with both manager and mentor relationships to build your skillset and prepare for your future career.
• Rocketdyne-wide learning and development opportunities, including
• Information sessions for both technical and business topics spanning all Rocketdyne businesses and programs

Key Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day technical coordination for spacecraft propulsion hardware through build, test, and delivery
• Dive into technical initiatives and product improvements alongside product owners
• Resolve hardware issues, nonconformances, and test anomalies alongside engineering, quality, manufacturing, and test teams
• Assist with development of technical documentation such as procedures, reports, and presentations
• Participate in customer discussions, design reviews, and internal technical meetings to understand requirements and support engineering responses
• Prepare and deliver an end-of-summer presentation summarizing your project work and key lessons learned

Basic Qualifications

• Candidate must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in engineering, physics, or a related technical field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in spacecraft, propulsion, aerospace manufacturing, or other complex hardware development
• At the time of application, a junior or senior undergraduate, or graduate student
• Coursework in thermodynamics, combustion, mechanics of materials, dynamics/vibration, fluid mechanics, spacecraft propulsion, nozzle design, lab instrumentation
• For candidates interested in electric propulsion: basic plasma physics, Hall thruster physics
• Project experience involving rocket manufacturing and/or testing, including diagnostics/instrumentation, for either vacuum chamber testing or launch competitions.
• For candidates interested in electric propulsion: Hall thruster operation and instrumentation
• Experience selecting, modeling, or testing valves or fluid system components.
• Strong technical communication and organization skills. Courses in technical writing, seminar experience, or large group/conference presentations are especially helpful.
• Initiative to ask questions and probe at existing assumptions
• Ability to work effectively on a cross-functional team with deadlines and decision gates, especially with large teams (5+ members).

Housing and Relocation Assistance

• If currently residing further than 50 miles from the Rocketdyne site, students are eligible to receive a stipend to cover the cost-of-living arrangements and relocation for the summer