Vehicle Structures & Mechanisms Intern
Posted on 9/3/2025

Relativity Space
Compensation Overview
$32 - $40/hr
Long Beach, CA, USA
In Person
At Relativity Space, we’re building rockets to serve today’s needs and tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Our Terran R vehicle will deliver customer payloads to orbit, meeting the growing demand for launch capacity. But that’s just the start. Achieving commercial success with Terran R will unlock new opportunities to advance science, exploration, and innovation, pioneering progress that reaches beyond the known.
Joining Relativity means becoming part of something where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. Here, you're not just executing tasks; you're solving problems that haven’t been solved before, helping develop a rocket, a factory, and a business from the ground up. Whether you’re in propulsion, manufacturing, software, avionics, or a corporate function, you’ll collaborate across teams, shape decisions, and see your work come to life in record time. Relativity is a place where creativity and technical rigor go hand in hand, and your voice will help define the stories we’re writing together. Now is a unique moment in time where it’s early enough to leave your mark on the product, the process, and the culture, but far enough along that Terran R is tangible and picking up momentum. The most meaningful work of your career is waiting. Join us.
About the Team
The Structures and Mechanisms team is responsible for the full design, build, and test lifecycle of Terran R’s integrated structures and flight mechanisms. Whether you're working on highly iterative mechanisms that move or tight-margin structures that shouldn’t, you’ll get hands-on hardware ownership and see the rocket coming to life on the factory floor. Both teams fall under one department, sharing design principles, tools, and an integrated approach that provides a comprehensive view of Terran R. Team members work on multiple parts, not just within a single subsystem, and are empowered to make decisions that directly impact flight hardware. Beyond first flight, you’ll play a critical role in refining for manufacturability and speed
About the Role
- Support the design, analysis, and testing of electromechanical actuators (EMAs) and pneumatic actuator systems for aerospace applications.
- Assist in creating CAD models, drawings, and documentation for actuator components and subassemblies, ensuring compliance with engineering standards.
- Perform preliminary hand calculations and simulation support for actuator performance, loads, and kinematics.
- Participate in hardware build and test activities, including setup, data collection, and post-test analysis.
- Contribute to troubleshooting and root cause analysis for actuator performance or integration issues.
- Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams (mechanical, electrical, and test) to deliver reliable mechanism solutions.
About You
- Current undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Hands-on experience with mechanical design, prototyping, or analysis of structural or mechanism components
- Familiarity with CAD tools (NX, SolidWorks, or similar) and exposure to FEA or engineering coding languages like Python or MATLAB
- Strong interest in aerospace hardware such as actuators, linkages, latches, or deployable structures
- Collaborative team member who thrives in fast-paced, multidisciplinary environments and is eager to learn
Nice to Haves but Not Required
- Familiarity with CAD tools (NX) and basic drafting practices.
- Experience with basic programming or scripting (e.g., Python, MATLAB) for data analysis or automation.
- Exposure to finite element analysis (FEA) or other simulation tools for structural or thermal modeling.
- Hands-on experience with prototyping, machining, or test lab equipment.
At Relativity Space, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our compensation practices. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors.
Compensation is only one part of our total rewards package. Relativity Space offers competitive salary and equity, a generous PTO and sick leave policy, parental leave, an annual learning and development stipend, and more! To see some of the benefits & perks we offer, please visit here.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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