---
title: 'Vehicle Software Engineer - Summer Internship 2027 at Inversion'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/vehicle-software-engineer-summer-internship-2027-inversion-playa-vista-wvn8e2z6gdbc'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-07'
---

# Vehicle Software Engineer - Summer Internship 2027 at Inversion

- **Company:** Inversion
- **Location:** Playa Vista, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-10-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/inversionspace/jobs/4745083005

## Job description

Advanced Reentry Technologies

Who We Are:

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology to enable next-generation capabilities from space. By combining high-performance materials, precision aerodynamics, and mission-driven autonomy, Inversion is transforming reentry into an operational capability for an entirely new class of missions.

The company’s highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and other national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere. Arc creates an entirely new transportation domain, unlocking unprecedented speed and global reach.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates its spacecraft under one roof, enabling the company to move rapidly from concept to flight. The company is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with customers across the U.S. government and commercial space industry.

Position Overview:

As a Vehicle Software Engineering Intern at Inversion, you will help develop the software systems that enable our next-generation reentry vehicles to operate reliably, both in space and on the ground. You will work alongside experienced flight and ground software engineers to build, test, and deploy software that directly supports spacecraft development, qualification, and mission operations.

Unlike traditional internships focused on smaller assignments, you will take ownership of a meaningful engineering project, driving it from initial requirements and design through implementation, testing, and delivery. Your work could involve flight software, ground systems, hardware integration, or automated testing infrastructure, depending on team priorities and your interests.

This is a hands-on opportunity for students passionate about software engineering, embedded systems, robotics, or aerospace to build production-quality software that will continue to be used long after their internship ends.

## Key Responsibilities

- Own a well-scoped software engineering project from requirements definition and technical design through implementation, validation, and deployment.
- Design, develop, and test software that supports spacecraft flight systems, ground operations, or engineering test infrastructure.
- Develop and integrate software with physical hardware, simulation environments, or existing flight and ground software systems.
- Write automated tests and contribute to software verification using unit testing, software-in-the-loop (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), or processor-in-the-loop (PIL) environments.
- Collaborate with flight software, avionics, simulation, and other engineering teams to solve challenging technical problems.
- Participate in software design reviews, code reviews, debugging, and integration testing.
- Document technical designs, test results, and software functionality, and present your completed project to the engineering team.

Required Qualifications

- Currently pursuing a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- Demonstrated software development experience through personal projects, engineering teams, research, open-source contributions, or previous internships.
- Experience programming in at least one language such as C, C++, Rust, or Python.
- Strong understanding of fundamental software engineering concepts, including debugging, testing, data structures, and software design.
- Familiarity with collaborative development tools and practices such as Git, code reviews, or automated testing.
- Strong problem-solving skills, curiosity, and the ability to independently work through unfamiliar technical challenges.
- Ability to communicate technical ideas clearly and collaborate effectively with engineers across disciplines.

Desired Qualifications

- Experience developing software that interacts with physical hardware, embedded systems, or robotics platforms.
- Familiarity with Linux development environments and command-line tooling.
- Experience developing test automation, simulation software, or continuous integration pipelines.
- Familiarity with networking concepts and communication protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, Ethernet, CAN, UART, or SPI.
- Experience with embedded Linux, device drivers, or low-level systems programming.
- Hands-on experience with spacecraft, rocketry, CubeSats, robotics, Formula SAE, autonomous vehicles, or similar engineering projects.

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence for the duration of the internship.

The California annual base hourly rate for this role is currently $38-$41. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. ITAR Compliance:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR [here](https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987).

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.

Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.  If you are a US Job Applicant see the [CCPA Privacy Policy Notice](https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa) for further details.

## About Inversion

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Inversion builds advanced reentry vehicles to turn space into a global logistics network for Earth, enabling rapid, precise delivery of payloads anywhere on the planet.
- **Entity Type**: Private (funding stage: Series unknown; raised $44M from investors including Y Combinator, plus a $71M U.S. Space Force contract)
- **Headquarters**: Playa Vista, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2021
- **Founders**: Justin Fiaschetti and Austin Briggs

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Aerospace & Defense – Reentry vehicles, space logistics, hypersonic delivery
- **Target customers**: U.S. Department of Defense, national security agencies, and future commercial logistics operators (B2G / B2B)
- **Mission**: “To make Earth radically more accessible by turning space into a global logistics network.”

## Products & Services
- **Ray**: Inversion’s first in-house developed spacecraft and reentry capsule, built to validate key subsystems for future vehicles. Developed by a team of 25 for under $1M.
- **Arc**: Flagship autonomous, reusable, low-cost space-based delivery vehicle designed to deploy payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour. Dual-use for defense and commercial applications.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of $44M (led by Y Combinator and other investors) + $71M Space Force contract
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Y Combinator, Anduril Industries (partnered on space-based interceptors for Golden Dome), U.S. Space Force
- **Growth Signals**: 60-person team, 55,000 sqft facility in Los Angeles, dedicated test site in Mojave Desert, successful orbital flight of Ray, partnership with Anduril for Golden Dome program

## Competitive Advantages
- **Speed & cost**: Entire spacecraft developed by 25 people for under $1M – dramatically faster and cheaper than traditional aerospace.
- **In-house vertical integration**: Nearly every system (propulsion, avionics, thermal protection, parachutes) developed internally.
- **Dual-use focus**: Technology serves urgent defense needs while laying groundwork for commercial logistics.
- **Experienced founding team**: Former SpaceX (Raptor engine) and ABL Space Systems engineers.

## Strategic Focus
- **Immediate priority**: Deliver on the Space Force contract and Golden Dome partnership with Anduril for space-based interceptors.
- **Long-term vision**: Build a reusable, on-demand logistics network using Low-Earth Orbit to enable global delivery in under an hour.
- **Technical roadmap**: Scale reentry vehicle production, improve landing precision, and expand military and commercial applications.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Emphasizes “talent density” and “extreme ownership” – a small, high-impact team where every engineer owns critical hardware flying in space.
- **Work environment**: Hands-on, fast iteration – rapid testing at Mojave test site, full machine shop, cleanroom integration facility, and parachute manufacturing on-site.
- **Hybrid / office**: Likely on-site heavy (engineering, manufacturing, testing); HQ in Playa Vista, CA.
- **Perks**: Generous parental leave, family and childcare benefits (per Built In).
- **Engineering culture**: Build and test own hardware; work across GNC, avionics, propulsion, structures, and simulation. 32 open roles on Greenhouse as of mid-2026.

## Sources
1. [inversionspace.com](https://www.inversionspace.com/)
2. [inversionspace.com/company](https://www.inversionspace.com/company)
3. [inversionspace.com/careers](https://www.inversionspace.com/careers)
4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/inversionspace](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/inversionspace)
5. [builtin.com/company/inversion-space](https://builtin.com/company/inversion-space)

## Other roles at Inversion

- [Senior Content Producer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-content-producer-inversion-playa-vista-nqpw9xpgmffg) — Playa Vista, CA
- [Hardware Test and Automation Engineer I](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-test-and-automation-engineer-i-inversion-playa-vista-vn6n16qykez1) — Playa Vista, CA
- [Procurement Specialist II](https://feeny.ai/job/procurement-specialist-ii-inversion-playa-vista-vfzvbmweqk77) — Playa Vista, CA
- [Head of Accurate Landing](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-accurate-landing-inversion-playa-vista-xw2kbdhygtdz) — Playa Vista, CA
- [AI & Internal Tools Software Engineer - Summer Internship 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-internal-tools-software-engineer-summer-internship-2027-inversion-playa-vista-a9j99vadvvsd) — Playa Vista, CA
- [Senior CNC Programmer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-cnc-programmer-inversion-playa-vista-4c12ah0jvbps) — Playa Vista, CA
- [Avionics Embedded Software Engineer - Summer Internship 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-embedded-software-engineer-summer-internship-2027-inversion-playa-vista-z5egz8y5tz6r) — Playa Vista, CA
- [Avionics Mechanical Engineer - Summer Internship 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-mechanical-engineer-summer-internship-2027-inversion-playa-vista-g0crbm6p0qzj) — Playa Vista, CA
- [Manufacturing Engineer - Summer Internship 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-summer-internship-2027-inversion-playa-vista-v1axdn62g0tw) — Playa Vista, CA
- [Mechanical Engineer - Summer Internship 2027](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-summer-internship-2027-inversion-playa-vista-9mpn8cr4xyyn) — Playa Vista, CA