Intern, FPGA Engineer

Capella Space stands at the forefront of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Earth observation intelligence and advanced satellite technologies. We provide customers in governments, academia, and commercial sectors with reliable information that enables unparalleled understanding of the world. Our mission is centered on delivering timely and reliable Earth imagery, supporting diverse applications in defense & intelligence, disaster response, energy, environmental monitoring and more. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, Capella Space designs, manufactures and operates an advanced constellation of SAR imaging satellites. Our market-leading SAR satellites are complemented by an unmatched data infrastructure and automated ordering and delivery platform for fast, reliable insights where and when customers need it most. 

Recognized for our technological prowess, Capella Space was honored as one of the 10 most innovative companies in Space in 2023 by FASTCOMPANY. Capella Space is an internationally trusted Earth Observation data provider, working closely with the U.S. Space Systems Command, U.S. Space Force, NASA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, the Canadian Government and more to make unclassified, high-resolution SAR data more accessible.  

What Makes Capella Unique? 

Capella Space is a highly collaborative team environment, providing an opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the space industry, though no prior space experience is needed.  We’re looking for people excited about tackling seemingly impossible challenges, learning new skills and concepts, and helping each other achieve success. Our mission and our products are meant to understand the whole world and help everyone in it - regardless of race, creed, or any other distinction. We encourage you to bring your unique perspective to help make us stronger, including applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. 

Capella Space Tasking & Scheduling team is looking for summer interns. The team applies cutting-edge mathematical and optimization techniques to automate the planning, scheduling and commanding of a dynamic constellation of SAR satellites. As an intern on this team, you will be exposed to a diverse set of impactful and engaging technical problems that draw from principals in software engineering, physics, mathematics and optimization. This is a great opportunity for an undergraduate that is passionate for space, technology, computer programming and eager to learn best practices and solve complex technical problems.

What you'll be doing during your internship

As an FPGA Engineer Intern at Capella Space, you will be responsible for assisting in the design, development, and testing of FPGA-based systems. You will be working with a small team of engineers on next-generation SAR space satellite utilizingRadio Frequency (RF) System on Chip (SoC) technology. Our team covers the design process to enable high-bandwidth RADAR processing, SSD data storageand data downlink.Ideal candidate has a strong capacity for working under general direction from senior-level engineers and is capable of troubleshooting problems during integration, evaluating fixes, and implementing fixes to meet challenging schedules. 

What you'll be doing during your internship 

• Assist in the design and development of FPGA-based systems.  
• Implement and verify FPGA designs alongside embedded Linux drivers.  
• Support the integration of new FPGA code into existing software frameworks.  
• Write code to help evaluate performance and automate testing of RF waveforms in hardware.

What you'll need to succeed   

• Knowledge of FPGA architectures and technologies.
• Coursework or experience in RTL design (System Verilog / VHDL) and embedded software development (C / C++ / Python). 
• Familiarity with the Xilinx Vivado Design Suite and Linux operating systems.  
• Familiarity with lab equipment including oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and signal generators.  
• A desire to learn hardware development, including working in a fast-paced and hands-on environment.  

Compensation

The target pay for this position is $35/hour. The actual pay is dependent upon a variety of job-related factors such as professional background, training, work experience, location, business needs and market demand. This pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.  

Intern Perks

• Capella provides a one-time stipend to cover your needs during the Summer.
• Daily provided lunches and stocked kitchens has you covered at both office locations.
• Swag! Work hard but look cool while doing it! Each intern gets a welcome package with t