Software Engineering Intern – Summer 2027

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price — and with over $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers, we're mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.

The Role

We’re looking for a stellar intern to join our team for a 3 month internship. Working closely with K2 engineers in a highly collaborative environment, you will be responsible for owning a software engineering project end-to-end and supporting actual on-orbit operations of our spacecraft. You will interact with advanced technologies like cyber-physical system simulators, satellite sensors and actuators, build systems, GNC algorithms, and more.

Responsibilities

• Create software architecture for real-time, fault-tolerant control of a 20kW+ spacecraft
• Develop software applications for control of spacecraft subsystems, including propulsion, guidance/attitude control, thermal, power, and communications systems
• Design and implement state machines for robust operation of the spacecraft
• Create and utilize robust tools to allow for rapid deployment of quality code
• Perform data analysis and anomaly investigation to identify and resolve software bugs
• Support integration and testing of the spacecraft subsystems
• Build and maintain infrastructure to increase reliability when developing and testing software

Qualifications

• Must be currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or other relevant engineering discipline
• 6+ months of experience using technical engineering skills outside of the university classroom setting (eg: laboratory, research, extracurricular project teams, volunteering, personal projects or prior internship/work experience)
• Development experience in Rust, C/C++, or Go

Additional Requirements

• Available for a minimum 12 week internship in person at our HQ in Torrance

Nice to Have

• Ability to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment, including frequent interactions with technicians, engineers, and managers
• Experience with spacecraft flight software development
• Experience with Linux systems programming and driver development
• Experience with continuous integration and continuous delivery systems
• Experience building or working with hard real-time embedded systems (bare-metal or RTOS)
• Basic knowledge of electronics, computer architecture, and control systems
• Experience defining and creating test systems for both hardware-in-the-loop and hardware-out-of-the-loop

Compensation

• Hourly pay range for this non-exempt role is $30 - $40 per hour
• Hourly rate will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level
• Housing and travel stipend may also be available