Internships
Your hands-on entry point into aerospace
Overview
Aerospace internships are the single most important thing you can do as a student to launch your career. They turn classroom knowledge into real experience, put recognizable names on your resume, and often convert directly to full-time job offers. We mapped 22 programs across government agencies, prime contractors, defense tech startups, eVTOL companies, and university research labs — covering everything from NASA OSTEM to SpaceX to NSF REUs. Whether you're a high school junior or a PhD candidate, there's a path for you.
The Big Picture
Explore This Topic
Eight guides to finding, applying for, and landing aerospace internships.
Summer 2026 Guide
What's still open, what already closed, application strategy, and a month-by-month timeline for Summer 2027.
Read → 02Government Programs
NASA OSTEM, Pathways, GL4HS, SEES, AFRL Wright Scholar, AFRL Scholars, and FAA Gateways — every federal aerospace internship.
Read → 03Prime Contractors
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, L3Harris, and General Dynamics — internship programs at the Big Six defense companies.
Read → 04Startups & NewSpace
SpaceX, Blue Origin, Anduril, Shield AI, and Skydio — rolling admissions, top pay, and real engineering at the companies reshaping aerospace.
Read → 05eVTOL & Emerging Companies
Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and the emerging electric aviation sector — no ITAR restrictions, open to non-citizens with work authorization.
Read → 06Research Programs
NSF REU, university research labs, and the academic path — paid research experiences for undergrads considering graduate school.
Read → 07How to Apply
Application timelines, building your list, what hiring managers look for, and the most common mistakes students make.
Read → 08Resume & Interviews
The aerospace internship resume, showcasing projects and competitions, technical and behavioral interviews, and follow-up strategy.
Read →Why This Matters for You
The aerospace industry doesn't hire based on grades alone. It hires based on demonstrated ability to do the work — and internships are how you demonstrate it.
An intern who walks into SpaceX already knowing SolidWorks, Python, and how to machine parts gets assigned to real flight hardware. An intern who walks in with only coursework gets assigned to documentation. The gap in career trajectory between those two paths is enormous.
The catch: the biggest programs close months before most students start looking. Boeing Engineering closes in October. AFRL Wright Scholar closes in January. NASA OSTEM closes in February. If you start searching in March, you've already missed the most competitive programs.
These pages map every major program — what's open, what's closed, when to apply for next year, and how to build the strongest application possible.
Internships by Career Path
Different careers have different internship pipelines — here's where to focus.
Pilot →
Limited formal internships — focus on flight schools, EAA, and CAP. Some airlines offer cadet programs (see Industry Careers). Boeing and Lockheed hire aviation-adjacent interns.
Aerospace Engineer →
The richest internship landscape: NASA OSTEM, SpaceX, Blue Origin, all six primes, defense tech startups, eVTOL companies, and NSF REUs. Apply to 15+ programs.
Space Operations →
NASA OSTEM (JSC, KSC, JPL), Blue Origin, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman space systems. Target centers and companies doing mission ops.
Air Traffic Control →
FAA Gateways is the direct pipeline — 640 hours converts to permanent FAA employment. Limited other formal ATC internships.
Aviation Maintenance →
Boeing Core Plus (HS manufacturing), GD Electric Boat SHIP, prime contractor technician roles. Fewer formal programs than engineering.
Drone & UAV Ops →
Anduril, Shield AI, Skydio — the defense tech startups are the pipeline. Autonomous systems internships are the fastest-growing category.