Orion Backup Flight Software Internship

Internships are educational hands-on opportunities that provide unique NASA-related research and operational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students (age 16 and up). To learn more, visit https://intern.nasa.gov.

As an intern on the Orion Backup Flight Software (BFS) team, you will be responsible for testing flight software algorithms for the Orion Backup Flight Software system. You will be responsible for learning the applicable software requirements, understanding the integrated system design, and learning the toolchains associated with development and testing of software. The particular tasking is flexible and will be adapted to suit your interests and abilities. BFS will need help with areas such as inertial navigation, burn guidance, spacecraft attitude control, propulsion system management, solar array control, power & electrical systems control, life support system control, automated sequencing, integration with the cockpit hand controllers for human piloting, and testing with crew cockpit displays. We could also use help to support the broader team by supporting the development of the BFS development and testing toolchain. This BFS system was used to support the Artemis 2 crewed mission around the Moon in 2026, but we are currently preparing the updated software to support additional capabilities in the Artemis 3 and Artemis 4 missions. The BFS system is designed to automatically assume control of the vehicle during dynamic flight phases (launch, burns, entry) in the event that primary flight computer system unexpectedly fails. The purpose of BFS is to safely complete the dynamic phase of flight to prevent loss of crew. The BFS team uses the Core Flight Software framework (CFS) as the backbone with custom-developed BFS C++ applications developed to meet specific Orion requirements. We are a team of ~15 developers and testers with a fast-paced development and testing schedule responsible for producing safety-critical, verified flight software for a human-rated deep space vehicle.