About the role#
Canopy Aerospace & Defense is seeking engineering and materials science students for a Fall 2026 internship. You will contribute to the development of next-generation thermal protection materials for spacecraft and hypersonic vehicles. This role involves prototyping materials from first principles, including mixing formulations, fabricating samples, and evaluating performance in laboratory and high-temperature test environments.
What you'll do#
- Assist with the design and formulation of new thermal protection materials, including polymer-derived ceramics and composite substrates.
- Prepare and process experimental material formulations.
- Fabricate composite and polymer samples using techniques such as casting, layup, curing, and infiltration.
- Characterize material properties including thermal conductivity, density, mechanical properties, and thermal stability.
- Analyze experimental results to inform material design and processing parameters.
- Document material formulations, processing methods, and test results.
- Collaborate with aerothermal, structural, and manufacturing teams to integrate materials into thermal protection system designs.
What you'll need#
- Current enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Chemistry, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
- Strong foundation in materials science, chemistry, or polymer science.
- Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, or similar scientific computing languages.
- Experience with laboratory experimentation or materials characterization through coursework, research, or project work.
- Strong professional communication and technical writing skills.
- Ability to work effectively in a collaborative research and development environment.
Location & details#
- Location: Littleton, Colorado (On-site).
- Term: Fall 2026.
- Employment type: Paid internship.
About Canopy Aerospace & Defense
Canopy Aerospace and Defense produces specialized materials for the space and defense sectors. The company provides insulative, absorptive, and signal-reducing components. It works with original equipment manufacturers on projects ranging from initial design and engineering to manufacturing and refurbishment. Based in Dallas, the company employs 107 people and was founded in 2023.
How to get in at Canopy Aerospace & Defense
Securing an internship at Canopy Aerospace and Defense requires timing your application to land before the candidate pool becomes unmanageable. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published anywhere, so you apply among the first, as early applicants get seen before the pile grows. Reaching out to the right people often makes the difference between a silent rejection and an interview. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company's roles so you can reach out directly to ask about the role or a referral, which materially improves response rates.
