Mechanical Engineering Intern (Summer 2026)

About the role Summer internships run May–September (depending on school schedules) and are full-time, on-site in Mountain View and San Jose, CA. Being a startup with a small team, breadth is extremely important and we expect this person to dive into structural data, dynamics, thermal design, supplier management, and everything else associated with the full lifecycle of an electromechanical product. As a fast-growing startup, Muon offers interns direct mentorship, real impact, and collaboration with accomplished aerospace professionals. Your contributions will directly shape our programs and success. Responsibilities Take ownership of or contribute to the design, documentation, build, and test of spacecraft and their components and support equipment Propose and iterate on the design for mechanical components Write tests and monitoring to verify performance Conduct analysis to support both development and testing Qualifications CAD proficiency in Solidworks or a similar tool. Design of parts and assemblies, basic drawings, Bills of Materials Creation of project notebooks, slide decks, presentations, Google Sheets Coursework or relevant experience in several of the following: Design, Mechanics of Materials, Strength of Materials, Control Theory, Vibrations, Heat Transfer, Finite Element Models Design portfolio of example mechanical projects Nice-to-have Skills Previous internship or co-op experience Previous experience on technical project teams Writing build instructions or test plans Understanding of physics and orbital mechanics Experience with testing: strength, stiffness, vibrations, environmental temp/vacuum 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.