Manufacturing Engineering Intern- Composites

ABOUT ROCKET LAB Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more – all with the goal of opening access space. The rockets and satellites we build, and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations. Our Electron rocket has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit, all while we work to develop Neutron, our upcoming medium-lift, reusable launch vehicle for larger constellation deployment. Our Space Systems business designs and builds our extensive line of satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft that have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and components used on the James Webb Space Telescope. While other companies talk about it, we do it! ABOUT SPACE SYSTEMS AT ROCKET LAB: Rocket Lab’s Space Systems team is responsible for every satellite and satellite component made by Rocket Lab: from complete satellites destined for missions to the Moon and Mars, to the individual components and subsystems that make up a satellite like solar panels, flight software, reaction wheels and star trackers, separation systems, radios, and more. Our Space Systems team is made up of engineers, technicians, and designers who design, create, and put together our own satellites for missions across the commercial, government, and defense sectors, or who build and assemble satellite hardware and software that supports other satellite missions. Position Purpose: The Manufacturing Engineering Intern – Composites will support composite material qualification and mechanical testing activities and help develop a new flat-patterning and reverse-engineering process for composite parts. Primary responsibilities include supporting prepreg qualification at the lamina and laminate level, running mechanical tests on sandwich panels and structural components such as struts, documenting test procedures and results, contributing to material specification documents, and helping map out a new workflow from scanned geometry through surface modelling to cut-ready patterns. The position requires attention to detail, adherence to testing standards, and the ability to organize technical data. WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO: Prepreg Material Qualification: Support qualification of composite prepreg materials at both the lamina and laminate level, including layup, cure, coupon preparation, and mechanical testing to generate material property data. Mechanical Testing: Undertake mechanical testing of sandwich panels and structural components such as struts. Characterize performance by documenting results and drawing defensible conclusions from the data. Documentation: Document test processes and procedures required to characterize the performance of composite materials and sandwich panels. Clearly outline tests to allow repeated testing on similar products in the future. Material Specifications: Document generalized material specifications based on mechanical testing data obtained for use by engineers globally. Flat-Patterning Reverse Engineering: Help map out and document a new process for flat-patterning and reverse engineering of composite parts. Use a Romer CMM arm to capture as-built geometry and develop the workflow from Rhino through ExactFlat (or Pattern PRO / FiberSim where appropriate) to produce DXF files for cutting. Trial the process on representative parts and help write the procedure for repeatable team use. YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS: Currently undertaking study towards a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, or Materials Engineering, with a strong academic record. Foundational understanding of c ... (truncated, view full listing at source)