Summer 2027 Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering Internship - Tunnel 9

Job Title: Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering Internship 2027 - Tunnel 9

Location: Maryland: AEDC White Oak Campus MD

Job Family Code: O - Engineering

Function/Branch: Tunnel 9

Directorate: Test Operations

Position Type: Full Time / Seasonal

Pay Type: Non-Exempt

Sponsorship: Position Not Sponsored

Grade: M04 (OB0404) - M05 (OB0503)

Salary Range or Starting Hourly Rate: $31.23 -$40.83/ per hour

Overview

Open to External candidates. Beyond New Horizons, LLC (BNH) has an exciting opportunity for seasonal Aerospace, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering Interns, supporting TOS II, at Tunnel 9 in Silver Spring, MD.

Job Summary

Tunnel 9 is a geographically separated unit of Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC). It provides aerodynamic simulation capabilities critical to hypersonic-system and vehicle-technology development at speeds from Mach 7 to Mach 18.

The BNH Internship Program offers full-time summer internship opportunities lasting 10 to 12 weeks for undergraduate and graduate engineering students. Interns are paired with experienced engineers and scientists who mentor them while they complete assigned projects, gain practical experience in their field of study, and contribute to the Air Force and BNH missions. Interns will brief senior management summarizing work accomplished, lessons learned, and recommended next actions.

Job Duties:

The Tunnel 9 internship provides interns with multiple projects throughout the summer, exposing them to the range of engineering work performed at AEDC Tunnel 9. Assignments address practical engineering challenges that support Air Force and BNH missions.

Examples of previous and planned intern assignments include the following; this list is illustrative and not exhaustive:

Operate and conduct tests in Tunnel 9's research and development (R&D) Mach 3 tunnel and install test article hardware and instrumentation in support of active customer testing at Mach 7-18.
• Validate test article data-acquisition system configurations and nomenclature; conduct pre-test instrumentation integrity checks; and perform model hardware changes between test runs.
• Support the development and application of temperature-sensitive paint, infrared thermography, fast-response piezoelectric force-balance instrumentation, balance-calibration software, and test article boundary-layer transition measurements and analysis.
• Develop graphical user interfaces to process, analyze, and decode test article and tunnel-facility data; develop or modify hardware and software interfaces for integrated data-acquisition and processing systems; and repair malfunctioning test article instrumentation.
• Create and modify electrical schematics using AutoCAD; research power load-bank systems for potential use with emergency generator systems; and assist with the field implementation, validation, and verification of new or modified measurement, data-acquisition, and control systems.
• Improve or add limit indicators to network and facility human-machine interface (HMI) screens; analyze optical measurement systems and recommend upgrades from analog drive motors to stepper-motor technology; and develop or modify programmable logic controller (PLC) ladder logic and HMI screens for facility control systems.
• Configure and program digital servo amplifiers and other facility control-system hardware; develop improved system-controller interfaces; and perform system integration, checkout, troubleshooting, drawing redlines, and work-instruction improvements for test cell systems.
• Research and prepare technical documentation and recommendations for operationally feasible dew-point measurement hardware; develop portable electronic devices for timing and calibrating high-speed camera systems; and build servo-valve models in MATLAB Simulink.
• Create three-dimensional models of subsystem components in PTC Creo; design and 3D-print fixtures for alignment, installation, and gauge inspections; design large hardware carts for assembly work; and improve and document 3D-printing methods to increase print accuracy.
• Refine heat-transfer code for improved integration with ANSYS and Creo; conduct material, structural, and thermo-structural analyses using ANSYS; and design hardware to support test cell and test article customer-testing activities.
• Update statistical probability-of-failure analyses for high-pressure vessels rated from 20,000 to 60,000 psi; and perform field verification of hydraulic-unit drawings and engineering checks of control schematics.

Minimum Requirements for Consideration:

• IMPORTANT: Resumes must include degree program, projected graduation date, and GPA to be considered. We will not be reaching out to obtain information that was requested but not included.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be currently enrolled in an accredited university and pursuing a degree in one of the following disciplines:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechatronics Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science or Software Engineering (hard programmers, business systems, data science, Power Platform developers, or machine learning interests; cybersecurity students need to have Security+)
• Industrial Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering

• At least sophomore status (45 credit hours) completed by May 2027
• Minimum GPA of 2.75
• Ability to work 40 hours each week for 12 weeks from May to August. This is a full-time temporary position, so no vacation is accrued. We encourage students to take personal vacations before reporting and between the term ending and their return to school.
• Must have the ability to travel between multiple facilities and buildings within the industrial complex to support test operations.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance and the AEDC local area network
• Due to Air Force Security requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required for employment at AEDC

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrate a positive, self-driven, and adaptable approach; show intellectual curiosity; accept feedback; work effectively with minimal direction.
• Communicate effectively and demonstrate a willingness to expand technical knowledge and learn new skills.
• Possess experience with, or familiarity with, PTC Creo, AutoCAD, ANSYS, Excel, MATLAB, and/or 3D-printing equipment and processes.
• Be able to read, create, and modify mechanical drawings and electrical schematics, including wire tables and cable instrumentation documentation.
• Show an interest in supporting the nation's defense; an active security clearance is preferred.

Join our Team!

U.S. Citizenship is required. At this time BNH will not sponsor any applicants for employment authorization or offer any immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1b, F1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, E-2, E-3, L-1, or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations and refers to the amount BNH is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time jobs will be adjusted based upon the number of hours agreed to work.

M06: $36.29 - $49.90/ per hour at location Maryland: AEDC White Oak Campus MD

BNH 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, veteran status, and any other grounds for discrimination prohibited by applicable law.

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