Company Description: Paragon is a leader in ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support Systems) and ATCS (Active Thermal Control Systems) for crewed and uncrewed space vehicles. The company was founded 32 years ago in Tucson, AZ. We have 150 employees distributed between 3 sites; Tucson (headquarters), Houston, TX and Denver, CO. We primarily design and manufacture complex, highly reliable systems and invent new technologies for astronaut survival and well-being in space. We are also a manufacturer of space radiators to enable cooling of vehicles.
Primary Responsibilities/ Focus Areas of Internship: The primary responsibility will be to assemble a list of industry standards, practices and requirements that drive the cost of aerospace hardware. As the space industry is moving from a government-funded model to a commercial model, legacy standards / requirements need to be pared down and simplified, some could be entirely eliminated. To achieve this goal, the intern will conduct literature review on these documents, perform online research, interview industry experts (Paragon and partners) and develop a mechanism to document and distribute the findings to Paragon management at the end of the internship. AI tools may be used during the course of the project as well as use of database tools.
Key Tasks/Projects the Intern may be involved with: The intern will learn a great deal about how the industry functions, how space hardware is developed and fabricated, and become intimately familiar with NASA standards. They will also develop a network of industry veterans / experts and contribute to making space more affordable and accessible for commercial entities.
Required Skills & Level: NASA standards can be lengthy and intimidating, heavy with acronyms. We will need someone who is highly motivated to learn about NASA and industry practices. Ideally their background should be in mechanical, aerospace or systems engineering, or similar, so they can understand and interpret industry documents. The person will need to be outgoing, independent and self-motivated as the role will involve calling and interviewing in-house and external engineers. They will also need to be comfortable with MS Office tools and AI tools.
Desirable Skills:
- Majoring in Aerospace / Mechanical / Systems Engineering -- Intermediate
Work Location & Hours: Mode is flexible. If convenient, the office is at 3400 E Britannia Dr in Tucson, AZ. However, this role can be primarily virtual. Intern must coordinate work hours with primary mentor, who will generally work 9am-5pm.