2025 Space Sciences Graduate Intern

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

The Aerospace Corporation is hiring a Graduate-level Space Sciences Intern. .

The Aerospace Physical Sciences Laboratories (PSL) is a diverse scientific organization that provides a broad and innovative research and development backplane for a growing space enterprise.  PSL’s impact is grown through a diverse research portfolio that blends foundational scientific research with cutting-edge technology development to serve a broad customer base. PSL’s exclusive ability to work with all stakeholders: (government, industry, and academia) enables us to provide novel solutions to the most challenging issues in current and future technology applications. The strength of PSL comes from the combination of cutting-edge tools and facilities, a vast repository of space-system knowledge, and the extensive technical expertise of our people. We harness these tools and expertise in over 150 different laboratories to tackle the new challenges for the space enterprise.

Join our unique team in the Space Sciences Department to advance basic and applied space environment research in the national interest for the entire space enterprise.  We are seeking creative and motivated researchers interested in directly contributing to space system design and effective operation of government, civil, and commercial customer missions within the dynamic space environment.  This position involves analysis and interpretation of magnetospheric particle datasets for possible inclusion into the next generation of the radiation belt specification models for satellite design, IRENE.  You’ll be working with scientists from the Space Sciences Department as well as many other national and international contributors to the model updates.  Available positions are located at El Segundo, CA and Chantilly, VA. 

Work Model

This position will be located 100% onsite in El Segundo, CA

What You’ll Be Doing  

• The International Radiation Environment Near Earth (IRENE) is a world class radiation belt specification model used for satellite radiation design.  Governments and satellite contractors worldwide use the IRENE model in satellite design. 

• The model provides statistics of the environment to make informed decisions about design risk, which is derived from many datasets of the radiation belt and magnetospheric plasma. 

• This project will perform analysis, data cleaning, intercalibration and interpretation of new radiation belt dataset to recommend inclusion in the next version of IRENE. 

• If successful, the work will directly affect the outputs of a globally-used model for satellite design. 

What Corporate Skills You’ll Bring 

• Strong written and oral communication skills 

• Must work well in a team environment 

• Possess organizational, time management and project management skills 

• Demonstrate flexibility and ability to adapt to changing organizational need 

• Interpersonal skills to coordinate efforts and work with other internal and external organizations 

What You Need to be Successful 

Minimum Requirements: 

• Currently enrolled full-time in an accredited college/university program pursuing a Master's or Ph.D. degree in space science, physics, or related discipline  

• Second year of graduate school completed by internship start date 

• Minimum GPA of 3.0  

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

• Transcripts required.

How You Can Stand Out 

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: 

• GPA of 3.5 or higher

• Active security clearance

• Experience in conducting space science research, with publications in peer-reviewed journals

• Familiarity with magnetospheric particle populations

• Experience with the modeling, analysis, and interpretation of energetic particle detector observations.

Temporary housing assistance is not available. 

The Aerospace Corporation is a proud member of Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT),a growing coalition of leading space companies committed to collaboratively working toward a shared vision of expanding and diversifying opportunities for talent to join the exciting space industry. As part of this commitment, SWFT companies have pledged to significantly increase the number of diverse interns hired and fostering inclusive pathways to provide preparation, development and mentorship to students. Click here to learn more and register for the National Space Intern program. 

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business.  The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below.  Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills. 

(Min - Max)

$100,000.00 - $120,000.00

Pay Basis: Hourly

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options

• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

• Flexible spending accounts

• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

• Relocation assistance

• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

• Education assistance programs

• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at ieo.mailbox@aero.org. You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.