Spacecraft Engineering Internship (GNC) - Fall 2025

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. 

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind. 

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital. 

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has an office in Washington, D.C.  

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

 

About This Role 

Fall internships will range between the months of September and January. All dates dependent upon the university schedule of the selected students. Internships are full-time and on-site in Los Angeles, CA.

The GNC team is responsible for the the design, analysis, simulation and operation of reentry vehicles at Varda Space Industries. For this role, you'll be part of performing end to end analyses and validations for the navigation, trajectories and flight to enable the precision targeting and reentry capability for next generation manufacturing reentry vehicles. 

Internships at Varda are optimal for students looking to grow technically and professionally while working on impactful projects critical to the company’s success. You will be working on a collaborative team in a startup environment while being able to learn from some of most accomplished and experienced aerospace professionals in the world. We’re dedicated to providing an experience that will let your decisions and contributions help drive Varda’s success. 

Responsibilities

• As part of the GNC team, own or contribute to analysis, algorithms and simulations for reentry vehicles 
• Own Integration and testing of GNC sensors, actuators and software in simulation and hardware in the loop environments
• Design and implement mission critical tooling needed to facilitate automated maneuver responsibility and scheduling decisions
• Design and implementation of autonomous satellite attitude control, collision avoidance, orbital rendezvous, burn planning and atmospheric re-entry algorithms
• Perform trajectory design, optimization, and dispersion analysis for the reentry of a space capsule

Basic Qualifications

• Familiar with orbital mechanics, flight dynamics, trajectory design and optimization, feedback controls, 6DOF flight simulations, navigation solutions, guidance navigation and controls flight algorithms, monte carlo analysis, 
• Familiarity with C++ or python and modern software development principles 

Preferred Skills And Experience 

• Previous internship or co-op experience 
• Previous experience on technical project teams (i.e. Rocket Club, Formula SAE, etc.) 
• Experience with spacecraft or satellite attitude determination and control system design
• Understanding of multi-body dynamics, flexible body dynamics and thermodynamics
• Experience supporting safety critical flight tests or vehicles
• Experience with GMAT, POST2 or similar trajectory modeling tools

ITAR Requirements

• Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S.  Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than “U.S. Persons” as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to expo