Calibration/Validation Intern, Lunar Pipeline

Welcome to Planet. We believe in using space to help life on Earth. Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history. This constellation delivers an unprecedented dataset of empirical information via a revolutionary cloud-based platform to authoritative figures in commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. We are both a space company and data company all rolled into one. Customers and users across the globe use Planet's data to develop new technologies, drive revenue, power research, and solve our world’s toughest obstacles. As we control every component of hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering, our office is a truly inspiring mix of experts from a variety of domains. We have a people-centric approach toward culture and community and we strive to iterate in a way that puts our team members first and prepares our company for growth. Join Planet and be a part of our mission to change the way people see the world. Planet is a global company with employees working remotely world wide and joining us from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands. Internships at Planet: Planet’s Summer 2026 internships are full-time, paid 12-week positions located in our San Francisco HQ Office. Program Dates: June 1 - August 21 June 22 - September 11 About the Role: The Calibration and Validation (CalVal) team supports all of Planet's satellite constellations by ensuring every pixel we deliver reports a calibrated radiometric observation in its right place on the Earth. The CalVal team applies learnings from scientific research at scale, affecting millions of images and terabytes of data. This role focuses on radiometric calibration for our PlanetScope SuperDove constellation using the moon as a reference target. The team is looking for a skilled software engineer to help build an image processing pipeline that stitches partial lunar images into a full-disk composite to compare against established radiometric models. The goal is to use this model to then develop an internal dashboard that can help us monitor satellite stability and quality. This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco office 3 days per week. Impact You'll Own: Design and implement an image processing pipeline to stitch multiple lunar observations into single composite images. Critically evaluate the results by comparing the composite against reference imagery and established lunar calibration models (such as ROLO). Develop a web interface surfacing satellite health and performance metrics Develop metrics to quantify lunar imagery pipeline performance What You Bring: Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Earth/Planetary Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field. Experience with scientific computing in Python within a Unix/Linux environment Experience conducting research projects and presenting findings A hands-on, collaborative mindset with effective interpersonal skills What Makes You Stand Out: Experience with image registration, mosaicking, and spatial transformations. Knowledge of coordinate transformations, pointing geometry, or spacecraft ephemeris (e.g., SPICE). Passion for photography, remote sensing, Earth science, and geography Development skills in JavaScript and React Experience with FastAPI, SQL, and PostgreSQL Familiarity with computer vision libraries (e.g., OpenCV, scikit-image) and techniques for aligning unreferenced images. Understanding of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and version control using Git Application Deadline: April 13, 2026 at 11:59p PT EAR/ITAR Requirements: This position requires access to export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being requ ... (truncated, view full listing at source)