Instrument Engineering Intern (Summer 2026) at Muon Space

San Jose, California, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

22 Jan, 26

Salary

50.0

Posted On

24 Oct, 25

Experience

0 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Optical Metrology, Data Analysis, Programming, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Organization Skills, Optics, Optical Design, Optomechanical Design, Optical Systems

Industry

Space Research and Technology

Description

About the role Summer internships will range between the months of May and September depending on university schedules. Internship is full-time and on-site in San Jose, CA. The Instrument Engineering team is responsible for developing Muon’s remote sensing instruments, including those for the FireSat constellation. The team’s scope spans the full instrument development lifecycle, ranging from concept through design and analysis, vendor management, assembly, integration, and test (AI&T), and on-orbit commissioning. The ideal candidate is interested in working across many layers of technical depth from individual components through system level and collaborating across various engineering disciplines, including optical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, and software teams. Muon is a small and fast growing startup which offers interns the experience to get direct mentorship and have real impact on our programs. Muon offers interns direct mentorship, real impact, and collaboration with accomplished aerospace professionals. Your contributions will directly shape our programs and success. Responsibilities Contribute to the operation of test setups for functional testing and characterization of components, subsystems, and instruments Identify and iterate on improvements to design and automation of test setups Contribute to requirements verification and validation (V&V) planning Contribute to modeling and simulation to support instrument development Qualifications Experience working hands-on with precision optical/optomechanical metrology equipment Experience developing data analysis tools and generating reports Basic programming skills in one or more languages (e.g. Python, Julia, C++) Strong communication, presentation, and organization skills Coursework or relevant experience in several of the following: Optics, Optical Design, Optomechanical Design, Optical Systems Nice-to-have Skills Previous internship or co-op experience Previous experience on technical project teams Experience writing build instructions or test plans Salary The hourly wage for this role is $50. About Muon Space Founded in 2021, Muon Space is an end-to-end Space Systems Provider that designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations delivering mission-critical data. Our revolutionary, integrated technology stack enables customers to optimize every dimension of their missions for faster time-to-orbit and superior constellation remote sensing performance. Our state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Silicon Valley is optimized for manufacturing spacecraft and rapid, flexible payload integration at scale. From climate monitoring to national security, Muon Space is dedicated to delivering Earth Intelligence for a safer and more resilient world. Taking Care of Our Team At Muon salary is only part of our total compensation package. In addition to salary, we provide equity compensation as well as benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401k retirement plan, short & long term disability and life insurance. We also offer three weeks paid vacation for new employees, along with 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time and paid parental leave. Our mission embraces the entire planet and we believe our team should too. Muon is dedicated to creating a diverse and dynamic company and workforce. We believe in equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or gender identity. We value diversity in the workplace, and that starts with our applicants. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't check all the boxes, and we look forward to reviewing your application! In addition, if you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know. ITAR/EAR Requirements This position requires access to export controlled information. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations applicable to that information, applicant must either be (A) a U.S. person, defined as a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, (B) eligible to access the export controlled information without a required export authorization, or (C) eligible and reasonably likely to obtain the required export authorization from the applicable U.S. government agency. The Company may, for legitimate business reasons, decline to pursue any export licensing process.

Responsibilities

Contribute to the operation of test setups for functional testing and characterization of components, subsystems, and instruments. Identify and iterate on improvements to design and automation of test setups.