Opto-mechanical Engineering Intern (Fall 2026)

Impulse Space is seeking an Opto-Mechanical Design Engineer Intern to support the development of precision optical systems for spacecraft. This role will focus on the mechanical design of optical assemblies, telescope structures, lens barrels, detector mounts, mirror mounts, baffles, pointing mechanisms, and alignment hardware for optical payloads.

This engineer will help turn optical concepts into flight hardware: mechanically robust, alignable, manufacturable, testable, and stable through launch and on-orbit environments. Depending on experience level, this role may support, own, or lead the design of opto-mechanical assemblies from early architecture through detailed design, build, test, and flight qualification.

The ideal candidate has strong mechanical design fundamentals, hands-on hardware experience, and interest in the intersection of optics, precision mechanisms, spacecraft environments, and production-ready flight hardware.

Responsibilities

• Design opto-mechanical hardware for spacecraft optical systems, including lens barrels, telescope structures, detector mounts, optical benches, mirror mounts, baffles, flexures, kinematic mounts, and precision alignment features.
• Design mechanisms used in optical systems, including gimbals, focus mechanisms, launch locks, adjustable mounts, fast steering mirror interfaces, voice-coil or limited-angle actuation systems, motorized stages, and pointing assemblies.
• Develop mechanical architectures that support optical performance requirements such as element spacing, decenter, tilt, detector placement, boresight alignment, line-of-sight stability, and alignment retention.
• Work with optical engineers to convert optical prescriptions, lens layouts, chief ray constraints, pupil locations, detector tolerances, and stray light constraints into practical mechanical designs.
• Support the development of athermalized optical barrels and precision camera/telescope assemblies for high-accuracy star tracker and optical payload applications.
• Create CAD models, drawings, tolerance stackups, GD&T, BOMs, interface control documents, assembly procedures, and test fixture designs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Recent completion or currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with mechanical design, precision hardware, opto-mechanical systems, mechanisms, aerospace hardware, or related engineering work through coursework, internships, research, or professional experience.
• CAD experience with NX, SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA, or similar mechanical design software.
• Understanding of mechanical drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, materials, fasteners, manufacturing processes, and assembly constraints.