Engineering Intern

Intern, Engineering-LASSO II

• Kennedy Space Center, Florida; Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Job Summary:

We are seeking a motivated and technically skilled Engineering Intern to support NASA's efforts in advancing controlled environment agriculture and space crop production systems. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to autonomous systems, sensor integration, machine learning, and hydroponic engineering projects designed for microgravity environments.

As part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers, the intern will assist in developing, prototyping, and validating next-generation agricultural technologies.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Assist in the development and testing of autonomous plant monitoring and care systems for microgravity operations.
• Support sensor integration, calibration, and data collection from environmental control systems (e.g., hydroponics, lighting, misting, CO control).
• Contribute to the design and prototyping of hardware systems such as plant scanning gantries, dosing systems, and portable growth chambers.
• Assist with machine vision and image analysis pipelines (e.g., segmentation, 3D point cloud reconstructions) to monitor crop morphology and stress responses.
• Analyze system performance, troubleshoot hardware/software issues, and propose engineering solutions for operational improvements.
• Collaborate with plant biologists and systems engineers to translate biological requirements into functional designs.
• Document experimental setups, protocols, and system builds to support knowledge transfer and future deployment.
• Use Microsoft Office 365 tools (e.g., Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) for data entry, communication, and reporting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled or recent graduate in an undergraduate program in Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Agricultural/Biological Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Hands-on experience with Python and machine learning libraries (e.g., OpenCV, NumPy, Open3D, PyTorch).
• Familiarity with embedded systems, sensor suites, or microcontrollers (e.g., Jetson Nano, ESP32, CR1000X).
• Experience with autonomous robotics or machine vision systems is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and troubleshoot technical systems in research or lab settings.
• Strong written communication and documentation skills.

Duration:

Summer/Fall 2025

Clearance Requirements:

Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident eligible to work at a NASA center.

Other Responsibilities:
Safety - LASSO enforces a safety culture whereby all employees have the responsibility for continuously developing and maintaining a safe work environment. As appropriate, each employee is responsible for completing all training requirements and fulfilling all self-aid/buddy aid responsibilities, participating in emergency response tasks and serving on safety committees and teams.

Quality - Quality is the foundation for the management of our business and the keystone to our goal of customer satisfaction. It is our policy to consistently provide services that meet customer expectations. Accordingly, each employee must conform to the Quality Policy and carry out job activities in compliance with applicable Quality System documents and customer contracts. Each employee must read and understand his/her Quality Management and Customer Satisfaction responsibilities.

Procedure Compliance - Each employee must read, understand and implement the general and specific operational, safety, quality and environmental requirements of all plans, procedures and policies pertaining to his/her job.

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Astrion is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.