About the role#
The Thermal team manages the analysis, hardware, and testing required to keep our Spark-1 vehicle and its payloads within temperature limits. You will work on problems that affect upcoming missions, collaborating with engineers across mechanical, avionics, and vehicle systems. This is an on-site role based in San Francisco.
What you'll do#
- Own or contribute to thermal analysis of the spacecraft bus, payload deck, and deployables for on-orbit, deorbit, and reentry scenarios.
- Build and maintain thermal models using Thermal Desktop, FEMAP/Simcenter, or custom tools and correlate them to test data.
- Size heaters, radiators, thermal straps, and insulation while defining heater control zones and setpoints.
- Analyze cryocooler and high-power payload thermal chains, including conductive paths to radiators and parasitic loads.
- Plan and support thermal vacuum and thermal balance testing, including sensor placement, data reduction, and writing test procedures.
What you'll need#
- Currently pursuing a BS, MS, or PhD in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical field.
- Experience in heat transfer, spacecraft thermal control, thermal analysis, or thermal testing gained through coursework, research, internships, or project teams.
- Familiarity with tools such as Thermal Desktop, FEMAP/Simcenter, ANSYS, or scripted models in Python or MATLAB.
- Ability to predict temperatures through analysis, measure them in test, and reconcile the results.
Location & details#
- Location: San Francisco, California.
- Terms: Winter 2027 or Summer 2027.
- Work Modality: On-site.
- Compensation: $30 per hour.
- Status: This is a full-time paid internship. Due to U.S. export control requirements, candidates must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen or permanent resident). We do not provide visa sponsorship.
About Dispatch | YC P26
Dispatch builds satellites designed to manufacture products in space and return them to Earth. The company operates within the space research and technology sector. Founded in 2026, it maintains its headquarters in San Francisco, California. The organization currently employs three people.
How to get in at Dispatch | YC P26
Applying to Dispatch early is a distinct advantage because the team is small and reviews applications as they arrive. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published, so you can apply before the pile grows and your resume gets lost in the shuffle. Reaching out to the right person often beats submitting an application into a general queue. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company roles so you can reach out directly to ask about the position or a referral, which materially improves your response rates.
