FPGA Intern (Winter 2027)

Job Title

FPGA Intern (Winter 2027)

Role Summary

Hands-on engineering internship on FPGA-targeted applications within Astranis's hardware engineering team. Work includes RTL development, hardware integration, and verification to support satellite communication systems.

Interns work on real flight-relevant projects and collaborate with electrical and software engineers in Astranis’ San Francisco headquarters.

Experience Level

Entry-level internship. Typical duration ~12 weeks; role is designed for current undergraduate or graduate students.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include RTL and hardware integration tasks and supporting verification and test on FPGA platforms.

• Develop and synthesize RTL for FPGA-targeted designs (Verilog/SystemVerilog).
• Integrate FPGAs with peripherals such as high-speed data converters, memories, and microcontrollers.
• Use FPGA toolchains and multiple FPGA families; set up builds and constraints.
• Write software and testbenches to exercise and validate RTL on hardware.
• Collaborate with electrical and software engineering teams on board-level bring-up and debugging.
• Perform lab testing and debugging, including circuit- and system-level troubleshooting.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and legal eligibility to work on U.S. space technology.

• U.S. person status required: U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or other protected individual as defined by U.S. law (export-control requirement).
• Proficiency with Verilog or SystemVerilog for synthesis and RTL design.
• Experience designing, implementing, and testing high-throughput FPGA systems.
• Familiarity with FPGA toolchains and working with multiple FPGA devices.
• Hands-on hardware debugging and lab testing experience; comfortable in a fast-paced, onsite environment.
• Willingness to work onsite at the San Francisco HQ (expected 5 days/week for the internship period).

Nice-to-have:

• UVM and advanced SystemVerilog verification experience.
• Experience with Xilinx devices, Vivado, TCL, and JESD204B ADC/DAC interfaces.
• Background in DSP, RF/communication systems, LDPC or similar coding implementations, or space system experience.

Education Requirements

Currently pursuing a B.S. or M.S. (undergraduate or graduate student) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related technical field; or equivalent practical experience as stated in the posting. Internships are intended for students enrolled at a four-year university.

About the Company

Company: Astranis

Headquarters: San Francisco, CA, USA

Astranis designs, builds, and operates small geostationary satellites and satellite communications networks, providing secure, customizable connectivity to commercial, government, and military customers. The company handles end-to-end satellite development, manufacturing, and operations and has raised substantial venture funding to support launches and commercial deployments.