Ground Software Engineering Intern (Summer 2027)

Location: San Jose, CA Department: Engineering - Software

About the role

Muon is seeking Ground Software Engineering Interns to help build the software that powers high-performance satellite constellations. The Software Engineering team at Muon is responsible for software on the spacecraft, at ground stations, in the cloud, and visualization and simulation. As an intern, you won't be on the sidelines, you can look forward to owning a project from start to finish which could involve enabling a new type of task for the spacecraft, simulating a new component, writing the software for a new piece of hardware, or deploying new algorithms for processing images and other sensor data from the spacecraft.

Muon is a fast growing company which offers interns the experience to get direct mentorship and have real impact on our programs. You'll collaborate with a dynamic team in a startup environment and have the chance to learn from some of the most accomplished and experienced aerospace professionals in the industry, in an experience where your decisions and contributions play a pivotal role in driving Muon's success. Summer internships will range between the months of May and September depending on university schedules, and the internship is full-time and on-site in Mountain View or San Jose, CA.

Responsibilities

Own a well-scoped software project from design through implementation and testing, with mentorship from experienced engineers at each stage.

Develop and contribute to software for ground software, or supporting development and test tools.

Propose and iterate on software designs with guidance from the team.

Participate in code reviews and document your work so other engineers can use and maintain it.

Collaborate with software and hardware engineers and gain hands-on experience building reliable software for spacecraft.

Debug and troubleshoot across unfamiliar tools and systems, testing assumptions and working through issues to deliver a working result.

Qualifications

Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Aerospace, Systems, or a related technical field.

Coursework or practical experience in data structures, algorithms, and software development fundamentals.

Demonstrated proficiency in a programming language (e.g., Python, C++, Rust).

Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to break down problems, test assumptions, and work through bugs.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment.

Nice-to-have Skills

Previous internship or co-op experience or experience on a software engineering team

Knowledge of a specific satellite subsystem or domain, such as orbital mechanics, RF communications, or power systems

Previous experience building and deploying SaaS applications on IaaS platforms

Previous experience building or training ML models

Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL/HITL) testing or system integration.

Pay range

Bachelor's students $40/hour

Master's $45/hour

PhD $50/hour

About Muon Space

Founded in 2021, Muon Space is an end-to-end Space Systems Provider that designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations delivering mission-critical data. Our revolutionary, integrated technology stack enables customers to optimize every dimension of their missions for faster time-to-orbit and superior constellation remote sensing performance. Our state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Silicon Valley is optimized for manufacturing spacecraft and rapid, flexible payload integration at scale. From climate monitoring to national security, Muon Space is dedicated to delivering Earth Intelligence for a safer and more resilient world.

Taking Care of Our Team

At Muon salary is only part of our total compensation package. In addition to salary, full-time employees receive equity compensation as well as benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401k retirement plan, short & long term disability and life insurance. We also offer three weeks paid vacation for new employees, along with 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time and paid parental leave.

Our mission embraces the entire planet and we believe our team should too.  Muon is dedicated to creating a diverse and dynamic company and workforce. We believe in equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or gender identity. We value diversity in the workplace, and that starts with our applicants. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't check all the boxes, and we look forward to reviewing your application! In addition, if you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

Muon is currently registered and able to hire in the following states:

AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IA, ID, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA

ITAR/EAR Requirements

This position requires access to export controlled information. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations applicable to that information, applicant must either be (A) a U.S. person, defined as a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, (B) eligible to access the export controlled information without a required export authorization, or (C) eligible and reasonably likely to obtain the required export authorization from the applicable U.S. government agency. The Company may, for legitimate business reasons, decline to pursue any export licensing process.