Astranis Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: October 2026

Astranis builds small communications satellites for high orbits and says it has five satellites on orbit, a backlog of more than $1 billion in commercial contracts and a team of 500 engineers and entrepreneurs in San Francisco (from its job postings). On 3 October 2026 its Greenhouse board carried 58 live intern roles across four terms: 27 for Summer 2027, 27 for Winter 2027, 2 for Spring 2027 and 2 for Fall 2026. Every one pays $29 an hour for a typical twelve-week term, and every one requires U.S. citizenship, permanent residency or refugee/asylee status under space-technology export rules. In plain words: Astranis hires interns for several terms a year, and for summer 2027 you apply now, in fall 2026, with a winter 2027 term open at the same time.

Quick Facts

Summer and Winter 2027 roles are open now and Astranis is still adding them (five more went up on 30 September); none has a deadline, and roles close without notice.

Astranis wants interns who have built and tested real hardware or software. Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks. The Hydroficient IoT Cyber Defense Externship fits avionics, FPGA and embedded roles that handle secure links, and the Breaking Games SQL Database Architecture Externship fits the backend and enterprise-systems software interns who work in Postgres. Explore all Externships.

What Is an Astranis Internship?

An Astranis internship is an hourly, on-site engineering or business term at the San Francisco company that designs, builds and operates small geostationary communications satellites for enterprises, governments and the US military. Internships "typically last for twelve weeks" and are open to students "currently enrolled at a four-year university". Interns sit on real teams across about 30 disciplines, from antenna, avionics and FPGA to propulsion, thermal, flight software and technical project management, and Astranis says many past interns designed and tested hardware or software that went to space. Graduates apply to a separate twelve-week, salaried Associate track instead.

When Do Astranis Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Astranis posts each role as twins or triplets, one req per term. The first 2027 reqs (Mechanical and CAD) went up on 14 August 2026, the bulk on 18-25 September, and five more on 30 September; Greenhouse timestamps show 51 of the 58 live intern reqs were first published in September. Last cycle looked different: SimplifyJobs first listed Astranis' Summer 2026 reqs between late January and May 2026, so treat this year's early wave as measured and any projection for summer 2028 as low confidence. Term start months aren't published.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

Astranis' reqs have no deadline, and that cuts against you: each one comes down when the team fills it. During research on 28 September, an Electrical Reliability (Fall 2026) req was on the board at 04:55 UTC and gone by 05:01. With the board still growing, the summer and winter twins for your discipline may both be live today and both filled by December. Apply to every term you can do, because each term is its own req and a separate shot at the same team.

Which Astranis Internship Programs Should You Target?

Most disciplines are posted for both Summer and Winter 2027. These are the main clusters live on 3 October 2026:

Every live role is on the Astranis Greenhouse board. Already graduated? Apply to the Associate version of the role, not the intern one.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Requirements are consistent across all 58 intern reqs:

• Export control: "U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required" to comply with U.S. space-technology export regulations. This appears on every intern and Associate req.

• Enrollment: currently enrolled at a four-year university. Graduates go to the Associate track ("If you have already graduated... please apply to be an Associate Engineer").

• Degree level: most reqs name a B.S.; several also accept M.S. students.

• GPA: none stated on any intern req.

• On site: San Francisco; several reqs say five days a week in person.

Do You Need to Meet Every Requirement?

No. Every Astranis req tells applicants it's fine to apply without meeting all the listed criteria. The export-control status is the exception: it's a legal requirement, not a preference. Everything else, from specific tools to prior internships, is weighed against what you've built, and the Mechanical req asks for the ability to "personally design, build, and test hardware from scratch."

What Skills Does Astranis Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Across the 58 live intern reqs, Python is the most common named tool, followed by CAD and lab instruments such as oscilloscopes. Electrical roles add Altium and SPICE, software roles add C++, SQL and Postgres, and GNC and antenna roles add MATLAB. The common thread is building and testing real hardware: student rocketry, CubeSat and SAE-style projects map straight onto these reqs.

How Is Demand for Engineering Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

None of these is an Astranis program, but each builds a skill the reqs name and gives you a project to walk through in interviews.

Pair the externship with something physical you built; Astranis interviewers ask about design trades and test results, not certificates.

What Is the Astranis Application and Interview Process Like?

Astranis doesn't publish its process. These steps come from the reqs and first-hand Reddit accounts:

1. Apply per term. Each discipline has separate Summer, Winter and sometimes Spring reqs; apply to each term you can do.

2. Recruiter contact. A 2024 winter co-op applicant got an email asking for interview availability about five weeks after applying.

3. Technical rounds with engineers. Reported content: natural frequency and vibration, cantilever structures, shear and moment diagrams and harness design (mechanical, 2026); thermal control in vacuum and a satellite's center of gravity (Associate, 2025).

4. Software rounds. The same co-op applicant described a 60-minute coding round and a 45-minute exercise debugging a flaky unit test.

5. Offer. Timing isn't published; that applicant heard nothing after round two, so follow up if a week passes.

Expect fundamentals and open design questions with little guidance. Practice talking through a trade-off out loud.

What Students on Reddit Say

Recent first-hand threads focus on interview content, which is consistent across disciplines.

How Do You Stand Out for an Astranis Internship?

Three moves. First, bring hardware you built. The Mechanical req asks for the ability to personally design, build and test hardware from scratch, so lead with a rocketry, CubeSat, robotics or SAE project and the test data behind it. Second, double your shots: apply to both the Summer and Winter 2027 twins of your discipline, since each is a separate req for the same team. Third, drill fundamentals. Interviewees report vibration, beam loading, thermal control in vacuum and a debugging exercise, so practice explaining your reasoning without notes. Astranis doesn't publish applicant numbers or a conversion rate; it says only that many past interns now work there full time.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students weighing Astranis usually also look at these space employers.

For more employers and their windows, see our aerospace and defense internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 Astranis internship?

No. Summer 2026 is over and those reqs are closed. What's open now is the 2027 wave: 27 Summer 2027 and 27 Winter 2027 intern roles, plus 2 Spring 2027 and 2 Fall 2026, all live on Astranis' Greenhouse board on 3 October 2026 with no deadlines.

When do Astranis summer 2027 internship applications open?

They're open now. Astranis posted its first 2027 intern reqs on 14 August 2026, published most Summer 2027 roles between 18 and 25 September, and added more on 30 September. Last cycle some summer roles appeared as late as May, so check back if your discipline isn't listed.

Is there a deadline for Astranis internships?

No. None of the 58 live intern reqs lists a closing date. Roles come down when the team fills them, sometimes without warning, so apply as soon as you see your discipline. One fall role disappeared from the board within minutes during our research on 28 September.

Does Astranis hire interns outside the summer?

Yes. On 3 October 2026 it had 27 Winter 2027, 2 Spring 2027 and 2 Fall 2026 intern roles open alongside 27 for Summer 2027. Most disciplines post a winter twin of the summer role, so a student who can take a term off has twice the openings.

How much do Astranis interns make?

$29.00 an hour, the same rate on all 58 live intern reqs. Post-graduate Associate terms pay $1,925 a week, and two business Associate roles pay $1,750 a week. No intern req mentions housing or relocation support, so budget for San Francisco rent yourself.

Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to intern at Astranis?

You need to be a U.S. citizen, green-card holder, or refugee or asylee. Every intern and Associate req cites U.S. space-technology export regulations. Students on F-1 or other visas aren't eligible for these roles, regardless of discipline or work authorization such as CPT.

How long is an Astranis internship?

Astranis says its internships typically last twelve weeks and are hourly. It doesn't publish start months for the Winter, Spring or Summer terms, so ask your recruiter before you plan a semester off. The Associate track for graduates also runs twelve weeks but pays a weekly salary.

Can I intern at Astranis after I graduate?

Yes, through the Associate track. Intern roles require current enrollment at a four-year university, and the reqs tell graduates to apply as an Associate or Associate Engineer instead. On 3 October 2026 there were 38 Associate reqs open across Summer, Winter and Spring 2027.

Astranis' 2027 intern roles are open now and close as they fill. Apply today, and if you want another finished project to discuss, a remote Externship takes about 5 to 10 hours a week.