2027 Spring Optical Engineering Internship

About Ephemeris Net

We are extending the internet to space.

Ephemeris Net is a pre-seed space networking company on a mission to provide space connectivity for all through collaborative engineering of commercial space networking solutions. We are creating the infrastructure that will enable the space internet beyond bent pipe—starting with foundational networking infrastructure that will define how data moves through space.

We are supported by our parent incubator SOE, preparing to launch our first payload that will demonstrate a space-based router in Q1 2027. While our work will be incremental, we believe that now is the chance to build foundational infrastructure for how the internet will work in space within the next 5 years.

The role

We are looking for engineering interns to work directly on our two core products: optical terminals for space-based laser communications and the networking service that connects satellites into a space network.

By the end of this internship, you will have worked on something that either goes to space (if working on hardware or embedded firmware/software) or pushes forward the technical capability of our internal network and node simulation.

Your specific project will depend on your background and where Ephemeris Net's needs are sharpest when you start. We will match you to a project that is both meaningful to the company and a strong learning opportunity for you.

Example Projects

Upcoming intern projects include:

• Design and implement optical transceiver FPGA firmware

• Build a space network simulator 

• Design and fabricate test fixtures or mechanical subsystems for optical terminal prototypes or their test fixtures

• Build high speed optoelectronic communication test equipment

• Write embedded flight software 

What You Will Learn

• How optical terminals work: from photonics and beam steering to link acquisition and tracking

• How space networking differs from terrestrial networking: delay, disruption, orbital dynamics, and protocol design

• How to take a technical project from various start stages to end stages: from scoping through implementation to integration with a production system

• How to interact with professionals as part of a small, focused engineering team that ships hardware and software for space

What We Are Looking For

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to build things: personal projects, research, coursework, or prior internships where you wrote code, designed hardware, or ran experiments that produced tangible results

• Strong fundamentals in at least one of: embedded systems and FPGA development, software engineering (C, C++, Python, or Rust), optical or mechanical design, electrical engineering, information theory, or networking and simulation

• Ability to work on-site in El Segundo, CA or Oakland, CA for a minimum of 3 months, 3 days a week

• Must be a US person (15 CFR § 772.1)

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with FPGA development (Verilog, VHDL, or SystemVerilog)

• Familiarity with optical systems, laser communications, or free-space optics

• Experience with network simulation tools or protocol design

• Exposure to space systems engineering, orbital mechanics, or flight software

• Experience with CAD tools (SolidWorks, NX) or PCB design (Altium, KiCad)

How This Role Works

• You will be assigned a mentor who works on the product area closest to your project. You will have regular check-ins and direct access to them for technical guidance.

• Before you start, we will meet to understand your strengths and growth goals and come up with a project for you.

• You are expected to scope your project, execute, and present your results to the team at the end of the internship.

What we offer 

Compensation & Benefits 

• Salary: $70,400 annual salary, prorated for length of internship
• Comprehensive health care coverage 

Work Environment 

• On-site, 3 days a week minimum: you will work alongside the engineering team in the office and lab. Space hardware development requires hands-on presence.
• Small team environment with direct access to founders and senior engineers
• Your work will be on production systems, not a side project

The Opportunity 

• Build something that goes to space: If you work on hardware or embedded systems, your contribution will fly on orbit. If you work on networking, your simulation will inform the architecture of a constellation-scale network.
• Work at the frontier of space networking: Ephemeris Net is building infrastructure that does not exist yet, which is rare for greenfield networking work.

Our Vision and Values 

Ephemeris Net's vision is to enable an open, space internet that anyone can utilize and access. 

We believe that access to better digital connectivity is essential for human progress and that space is the frontier of digital connectivity. We believe that collaboration within market competition is the most effective way to expand the internet into space. Using Ephemeris Net to build space network solutions is how we can proliferate digital connectivity, collaboration, and "the raising of all boats" while achieving a commercial impact. 

We care deeply about: 

• Access to connectivity for all 

• Collaboration that raises all boats; we focus on win/win deals 

• Commercial impact: building solutions people value and buy 

• Personal growth and creating a place where people build their careers 

• Putting good out into the world through the work we do and our interactions with each other 

We are building a company people feel great about working at. We are seeking people who are open and actively seeking growth - both technical and personal. We value honesty, creativity, and a culture of ownership. 

About our locations 

El Segundo, CA: Located in the heart of the aerospace industry, surrounded by SpaceX, Aerospace Corporation, Northrop Grumman, and hundreds of space startups. A unique ecosystem where strangers on the street are excited about space. 

Oakland, CA: Right off BART. Close collaboration opportunities with UC Berkeley and the broader Bay Area networking and space research communities. 

Ephemeris Net is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.