What are the responsibilities and job description for the Mechanisms Engineering Intern position at Karman+?
Karman
We are inventors, designers, engineers, scientists, tinkerers, entrepreneurs, adventurers, artists, activists, global citizens, architects, musicians, builders, writers, athletes and space nerds. We partner with the best minds and most experienced teams across industry and academia, bringing together the knowledge, experience, and skills required to navigate our critical path.
Mission
We want to mine space resources from near-Earth asteroids to provide abundant, sustainable energy and resources in space and for Earth.
Vision
Asteroid mining has lived at the intersection of scientific research and popular culture for decades, with as many academic papers published as there are books, TV shows and movies about it.
Access to resources, with its finite nature and disparate distribution, plays an essential part in the geopolitical web of power and wealth. It has defined economic growth to such an extent that we have been using them as primary demarcation lines and identifiers in our history, from the stone to bronze and iron age to our current silicon age.
But our resources-driven growth faces a massive existential challenge, with climate change, ecosystem degradation and resource depletion demanding a complete reset. Humanity needs to shift global transportation, manufacturing, construction and energy onto a sustainable path.
Expanding beyond the Kármán line is where we believe transformative future growth and innovation will be found. Recent missions by NASA (OSIRIS-REx & DART) and JAXA (Hayabusa2) have firmly pushed the idea of using space resources from academic research into commercial opportunity.
We believe the Regolith Age, powered by abundant space resources, is an inevitability that we can accelerate.
We value these principles:
Location: Denver, CO
Position Type: Full-time, Summer Internship
Mission: High Frontier – Hands-on Design, Development, and Integration Support for Spacecraft Systems
We're Karman , a fast-moving space startup on a mission to redefine what small, dedicated teams can achieve in space. Our High Frontier mission requires seamless integration across multiple spacecraft subsystems, including propulsion, avionics, structures, power, thermal, and communication. As an intern at Karman , you will contribute to these critical engineering efforts, gaining hands-on experience in real-world space system development.
What it takes to be successful in this role:
As a Mechanisms Engineering Intern at Karman , you will support the design, analysis, integration, and testing of spacecraft mechanical subsystems. Working alongside experienced engineers, you will contribute to solving technical challenges, supporting mission development, and gaining insight into the full engineering lifecycle. This role provides exposure to various disciplines, and assignments will be tailored based on team needs and your background.
Key Responsibilities
We Offer
Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $20.00 - $25.00 per hour in this location. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amount listed above.
Location & Work Environment
This position is full-time in-person at our offices & lab in Denver, CO. If you reside in locations outside of daily commuting distance you will be considered, however, no relocation or travel assistance will be provided by Karman for this position. This position operates in an office environment. This entails working inside in an office space wherein you may be provided with a public work station (cubicle) or private offices. In the performance of the duties and responsibilities of this job, you will be required to view a computer terminal for prolonged periods of time.
Travel
Occasional travel to work site locations may be expected. Overnight stays may be required from time to time for training, seminars, conferences, meetings, events, or visits to onsite locations.
Disclaimer
This job posting is not intended to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required. Karman reserves the right to change or assign additional duties, responsibilities, and activities at any time with or without notice.
Hiring Practices
Karman is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact hr@karmanplus.com.
Come work with us...
We are crazy ambitious but the timing is right. Be part of the team looking to make it happen.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including 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.
Follow us on LinkedIn to stay tuned on upcoming roles with Karman .
If you know someone who'd be a great addition to our team, please encourage them to apply for this role or for our General Application.
We are inventors, designers, engineers, scientists, tinkerers, entrepreneurs, adventurers, artists, activists, global citizens, architects, musicians, builders, writers, athletes and space nerds. We partner with the best minds and most experienced teams across industry and academia, bringing together the knowledge, experience, and skills required to navigate our critical path.
Mission
We want to mine space resources from near-Earth asteroids to provide abundant, sustainable energy and resources in space and for Earth.
Vision
Asteroid mining has lived at the intersection of scientific research and popular culture for decades, with as many academic papers published as there are books, TV shows and movies about it.
Access to resources, with its finite nature and disparate distribution, plays an essential part in the geopolitical web of power and wealth. It has defined economic growth to such an extent that we have been using them as primary demarcation lines and identifiers in our history, from the stone to bronze and iron age to our current silicon age.
But our resources-driven growth faces a massive existential challenge, with climate change, ecosystem degradation and resource depletion demanding a complete reset. Humanity needs to shift global transportation, manufacturing, construction and energy onto a sustainable path.
Expanding beyond the Kármán line is where we believe transformative future growth and innovation will be found. Recent missions by NASA (OSIRIS-REx & DART) and JAXA (Hayabusa2) have firmly pushed the idea of using space resources from academic research into commercial opportunity.
We believe the Regolith Age, powered by abundant space resources, is an inevitability that we can accelerate.
We value these principles:
- Diversity of thought. We believe that different perspectives drive better results. We aim to build diverse teams and a diverse company.
- Ownership, feedback and accountability. Ideas improve through collaboration, discussion and iteration. Decisions don't follow the same pattern and revert to the mean when made in a group. We aim to have clear ownership, accountability for results and autonomy to deliver.
- No silos. We build cross-functional teams to be able to deliver on our goals. There are no predefined lanes for people to operate in, information is pushed out across all teams to make sure we benefit from cross-pollination.
- High talent bar, no a**holes. We optimize for potential and a growth mindset. We value experience, but only when balanced with self-awareness and first principles thinking.
- Small is beautiful. The best results as well as the best work experience come from a small team of talented people working towards a common goal.
Location: Denver, CO
Position Type: Full-time, Summer Internship
Mission: High Frontier – Hands-on Design, Development, and Integration Support for Spacecraft Systems
We're Karman , a fast-moving space startup on a mission to redefine what small, dedicated teams can achieve in space. Our High Frontier mission requires seamless integration across multiple spacecraft subsystems, including propulsion, avionics, structures, power, thermal, and communication. As an intern at Karman , you will contribute to these critical engineering efforts, gaining hands-on experience in real-world space system development.
What it takes to be successful in this role:
As a Mechanisms Engineering Intern at Karman , you will support the design, analysis, integration, and testing of spacecraft mechanical subsystems. Working alongside experienced engineers, you will contribute to solving technical challenges, supporting mission development, and gaining insight into the full engineering lifecycle. This role provides exposure to various disciplines, and assignments will be tailored based on team needs and your background.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist in the design and development of deep-space spacecraft components and subsystems.
- Conduct simulations, analyses, and testing to validate component and subsystem performance.
- Support the integration of subsystems, ensuring compatibility with the overall spacecraft architecture.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including propulsion, avionics, thermal, structures, and software engineers.
- Participate in hands-on testing, troubleshooting, and data analysis to refine system performance.
- Assist in documentation and presentation of engineering work, contributing to technical reviews and design discussions.
- Conduct quick-turnaround design, build, test prototyping iterations to help mature component and subsystem designs.
- Assist in evaluation and procurement of parts and materials to build flight hardware and ground support equipment.
- Engage in problem-solving efforts to address technical challenges and mission constraints.
- Fundamental knowledge in an engineering discipline such as aerospace, mechanical, electrical, software, or systems engineering.
- Hands-on experience with engineering tools, CAD software, or analysis packages relevant to your discipline.
- Coursework in machine design, statics and dynamics, control systems.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen interest in space systems.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
- Effective communication skills and attention to detail in technical documentation.
- Experience with spacecraft, robotics, or aerospace projects, including university teams or personal projects.
- Familiarity with simulation, modeling, or programming tools relevant to space systems (e.g., MATLAB, Python, Simcenter, Thermal Desktop, ANSYS, NASTRAN, or equivalent).
- Coursework in design and analysis of spacecraft mechanisms and structures.
- Curricular or extracurricular experience designing and building spacecraft mechanisms hardware, additive manufacturing.
- Knowledge of industry standards and best practices for space system design and testing.
- Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Familiarity with tools such as Jira, Confluence, or similar project management platforms is a plus
- A passion for space and a drive to learn by doing
We Offer
Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $20.00 - $25.00 per hour in this location. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amount listed above.
Location & Work Environment
This position is full-time in-person at our offices & lab in Denver, CO. If you reside in locations outside of daily commuting distance you will be considered, however, no relocation or travel assistance will be provided by Karman for this position. This position operates in an office environment. This entails working inside in an office space wherein you may be provided with a public work station (cubicle) or private offices. In the performance of the duties and responsibilities of this job, you will be required to view a computer terminal for prolonged periods of time.
Travel
Occasional travel to work site locations may be expected. Overnight stays may be required from time to time for training, seminars, conferences, meetings, events, or visits to onsite locations.
Disclaimer
This job posting is not intended to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required. Karman reserves the right to change or assign additional duties, responsibilities, and activities at any time with or without notice.
Hiring Practices
Karman is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact hr@karmanplus.com.
Come work with us...
We are crazy ambitious but the timing is right. Be part of the team looking to make it happen.
- We are looking to build things to put in space quickly.
- We emphasize creativity and innovation and resources are available to support good ideas.
- Join a team of people working toward the same ambitious goal.
- We are an engaging team looking to empower our teammates.
- You can have a share in the company value creation.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including 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.
Follow us on LinkedIn to stay tuned on upcoming roles with Karman .
If you know someone who'd be a great addition to our team, please encourage them to apply for this role or for our General Application.
Salary : $20 - $25
