Explore Summer Programs

Programs like NASA OSSI, AIAA design competitions, and university engineering camps give you a head start.

Summer breaks are the single biggest untapped resource for students who want to become aerospace engineers. While everyone else is working retail or sitting around, you could be building hardware that goes to the International Space Station, running wind tunnel experiments at a university research lab, or getting paid to do real engineering work at an Air Force Research Laboratory.

These are not exaggerations. These programs exist, many of them are free or paid, and they are actively looking for motivated high school and college students. The problem is that most students never hear about them, or they hear about them too late to apply. Do not be that student.

NASA HUNCH: Build Real Hardware for the Space Station

NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) is one of the most extraordinary programs available to high school students, and it is shockingly under-known.

What it is: Participating high school classes design and fabricate actual hardware, food experiments, and sewn flight articles that are used aboard the International Space Station. This is not a simulation. The things you build go to space.

How it works: Schools partner with NASA engineers who mentor student teams on real mission needs. Projects have included ISS storage containers, tool caddies, crew comfort items, and food science experiments. Students go through the full NASA design review process — requirements definition, design reviews, fabrication, testing, and delivery.

How to get involved: Check if your school already participates at nasahunch.com. If not, a teacher can apply to join the program. NASA provides training, mentorship, and design challenges. The program is free to schools.

Why it matters: Having “designed and built hardware currently aboard the International Space Station” on your college application or resume is about as strong a credential as a high school student can earn. Period.

AFRL Wright Scholar Program

The Air Force Research Laboratory Wright Scholar Program is a paid summer research apprenticeship for high school juniors and seniors at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

What you get: A full summer (typically 8-9 weeks) working alongside Air Force research scientists and engineers on active research projects. Past projects have spanned materials science, propulsion, autonomous systems, sensors, and directed energy. You receive a stipend for your work.

Who qualifies: You must be a U.S. citizen, a current high school junior or senior, at least 16 years old, and have a strong academic record in STEM subjects. The selection process is competitive.

Application timeline: Applications typically open in late fall (November-December) for the following summer. Check the AFRL website and the Dayton Regional STEM Center for current details.

What makes this exceptional: You are not attending a camp or sitting in a classroom. You are doing real research in a real lab with real scientists. The mentorship, the security clearance exposure, and the Air Force connection are valuable for anyone considering defense aerospace careers, which is a massive portion of the industry.

NASA OSTEM Internships

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement runs the agency’s internship program, and it is open to students from high school through graduate school.

The details:

• Duration: 10-16 weeks, typically during summer (spring and fall sessions also available)
• Compensation: Paid. Stipend amounts vary by education level and center location, but you are not volunteering.
• Locations: All NASA centers — Kennedy Space Center, Johnson Space Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Goddard, Ames, Marshall, Langley, Glenn, Stennis, and Armstrong.
• Application portal: intern.nasa.gov
• Application window: Opens in October, closes in March for summer positions. Apply as early as possible — positions fill on a rolling basis.

What you actually do: It depends on the project, but NASA interns have worked on Mars rover operations, launch vehicle testing, satellite data analysis, wind tunnel experiments, flight simulation, and software development for mission planning. You are assigned a mentor and embedded in an engineering team.

How to strengthen your application: NASA looks for strong academics (3.0+ GPA), relevant coursework, technical skills (programming, CAD, lab experience), and a clear personal statement about why you want to work at NASA. Prior competition experience (TARC, FRC, Science Olympiad) helps. Apply to multiple NASA centers and multiple projects to maximize your chances.

For high school students: The opportunities are more limited than for college students, but they exist. Look specifically for the OSTEM high school internship tracks. Even if you do not get in during high school, applying early teaches you the process, and reapplying as a college freshman with a stronger application is a solid strategy.

DoD STARBASE

Department of Defense STARBASE is a STEM education program for students, primarily in grades 4-8, hosted at military installations across the country. While the core program targets younger students, many STARBASE locations offer extended programs for high schoolers, and the experience of visiting active military research facilities and working with defense engineers can spark direction early.

Check dodstarbase.org for locations near you and ask about programs for older students.

University Engineering Summer Camps

Major aerospace engineering programs run summer camps and pre-college programs specifically designed to give high school students a taste of the discipline. These serve a dual purpose: you learn real engineering skills, and the university gets to identify promising future applicants.

Programs worth investigating:

• Purdue Engineering SPARK / Summer Experience — Purdue’s aerospace program is ranked #3 nationally. Their summer programs let you work in actual Purdue labs, including the renowned Zucrow Propulsion Labs (the largest academic propulsion lab in the world). Check engineering.purdue.edu for current offerings.

• Georgia Tech Summer Engineering Institute — Georgia Tech (#2 in aerospace) runs intensive multi-week summer programs. Given Tech’s partnerships with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and its proximity to major defense contractors, these programs often include industry exposure.

• MIT MITES (now MOSTEC/MITES Semester) — MIT restructured its pre-college programs. MOSTEC is a free, six-month online program for rising seniors from underrepresented backgrounds, covering real MIT-level content with mentorship from MIT students and faculty. MITES Summer is an on-campus intensive. Both are highly competitive and completely free.

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Summer Programs — Embry-Riddle is the only university in the U.S. dedicated entirely to aviation and aerospace. Their summer camps in Daytona Beach and Prescott include flight simulation, drone operations, rocketry, and aerospace engineering challenges. These are typically one-to-two week programs with a tuition cost (roughly $1,500-3,000), but financial aid may be available.

• CU Boulder Engineering Summer Programs — The University of Colorado Boulder (#7 in aerospace) houses the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), one of the world’s premier space science labs. Summer programs may include exposure to satellite operations and space instrument development.

AIAA Competitions Beyond TARC

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the professional society for aerospace engineering. Beyond the Design/Build/Fly competition (primarily collegiate), AIAA runs and sponsors several programs relevant to pre-college and early-college students:

• AIAA Foundation Scholarships — Competitive scholarships for undergraduate and graduate aerospace engineering students, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000.
• AIAA Student Membership — Joining AIAA as a student member (heavily discounted) gives you access to technical papers, networking events, and regional conferences. Attending an AIAA conference as a high school student is a bold move that gets noticed.
• Regional and section events — Many local AIAA sections run K-12 outreach events, design challenges, and mentorship programs. Find your local section at aiaa.org.

Application Timelines: A Master Calendar

Missing deadlines is the number one reason qualified students do not participate in these programs. Here is the typical annual cycle:

Set calendar reminders now. Seriously. Open your phone and set a reminder for October 1st to start your NASA OSTEM application and a reminder for September 1st to begin your summer program research. The students who get into these programs are not smarter than you. They just applied on time.

The SMART Scholarship Pipeline

The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service program is run by the Department of Defense and is one of the best deals in aerospace education. It is primarily for college students (undergraduate and graduate), but knowing about it now helps you plan.

What you get: Full tuition, a stipend of $30,000-$46,000 per year (depending on degree level), health insurance, book allowances, and paid summer internships at DoD facilities. In exchange, you commit to working at a DoD lab or facility for a period equal to the duration of your scholarship (typically 2-4 years).

Why it matters now: If you are planning to pursue aerospace engineering with a focus on defense applications (which is a huge portion of the industry), the SMART Scholarship should be on your radar from day one of college. Some students apply as incoming freshmen. Knowing about it early lets you choose a qualifying school and discipline strategically.

Free vs. Paid Programs: Making the Call

Some programs are free or paid (NASA OSTEM, AFRL Wright Scholar, MIT MOSTEC, SMART Scholarship). Others charge tuition (Embry-Riddle camps, some university programs). Here is how to think about it:

Always apply to the free/paid programs first. They are more competitive, but the ROI is unbeatable. If NASA is willing to pay you to learn aerospace engineering, there is no better use of your summer.

If you are considering paid programs, evaluate them on three criteria: (1) Will you get hands-on engineering experience, not just lectures? (2) Is the program affiliated with a top-ranked aerospace program? (3) Will you have meaningful interaction with faculty and current students? If yes to all three, the investment can be worthwhile — especially if it solidifies your interest before committing to a four-year degree.

Financial aid is almost always available. Ask every program about need-based scholarships or fee waivers. Programs want diverse, talented participants, and many have funds specifically to reduce financial barriers.

How Summer Experiences Strengthen Everything Else

A strong summer program does more than add a line to your resume. It does several things simultaneously:

• Confirms your interest. Spending six weeks doing real aerospace engineering work tells you whether this career is actually what you want. Finding out at 16 is a lot less expensive than finding out at 20 with $80,000 in tuition invested.
• Builds your network. The mentors, fellow participants, and program alumni you meet become contacts who can write recommendation letters, refer you to future opportunities, and answer questions throughout your career.
• Generates application content. College essays that describe specific, vivid engineering experiences are dramatically more compelling than generic statements of interest.
• Develops real skills. Lab techniques, software tools, presentation skills, technical writing — these carry directly into your college coursework and first internship.

Start looking now. Bookmark intern.nasa.gov. Search for programs at the schools on your list. Set your deadlines. The students who take their summers seriously are the ones who arrive at college already functioning like engineers.