🌌 Internship - mechanical design and development of on-orbit servicing concepts

We are looking for an enthusiastic intern with mechanical engineering knowledge and practical can-do attitude, to be part of the in-space propulsion team of Dawn Aerospace in Delft, the Netherlands. The internship will start in April 2023 for a duration of 5-6 months.

During this internship, you will assess the technical feasibility of different on-orbit servicing concepts (rendezvous, docking, refilling) and together with external partners you will perform the mechanical design of a system aimed to refuel our customers’ spacecraft propulsion systems in orbit. Additionally, you will write the test plans to validate your designs in our hardware-in-the-loop testing facilities and execute the tests with our expert team.

Responsibilities

• Assess the feasibility of on-orbit servicing concepts.

• Define the top-level requirements for spacecraft refueling.

• Liaise with external partners for (mechanical) integration of the different refueling subsystems.

• Design, build and test a proof-of-concept for refueling of satellites.

• Build and commission a test bench for further (prototype) system testing.

• Current enrolment in an engineering related MSc program. Late BSc. could also be considered.

• Proficiency with computer aided design, preferably SolidWorks.

• Affinity with mechanical design and tribology.

• Not afraid to do both theoretical and practical tasks.

• Capable to work effectively autonomously and as part of a team.

• Capable to manage requirements.

• Excellent communication skills

It would be great if you have

• Experienced with high pressure fluid systems, including feed systems, sealing techniques and handling safety.
• Experienced with designing compliant mechanisms or topology optimization.