Simulation Realism Engineer - Summer 2026

About iMETALX

iMETALX, Inc. is creating a future where space is accessible and sustainable for all. We deliver cutting-edge Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) solutions for government and commercial customers.

Our work spans spacecraft autonomy — including perception, simulation, controls, and real-world deployment — with a strong emphasis on validating advanced software on real hardware platforms.

We’re a small, fast-moving team where interns take real ownership and contribute directly to mission-critical systems.

Internship Overview

We are seeking a Simulation Realism / Modeling & Simulation Engineer Intern to help develop high-fidelity simulation environments used to design, test, and validate autonomous spacecraft systems.

In this role, you will focus on improving the physical, sensor, and environmental realism of our simulation frameworks — bridging the gap between simulated and real-world performance for perception, autonomy, and controls algorithms.

You will work closely with our autonomy, computer vision, and systems engineering teams to build simulation tools that directly support mission development and on-orbit operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and enhance high-fidelity simulation environments for spacecraft autonomy and perception systems
• Model realistic physics, orbital dynamics, lighting conditions, sensor noise, and environmental effects
• Implement realistic camera, LiDAR, and other sensor models for perception algorithm testing
• Improve sim-to-real transfer by validating simulation outputs against real hardware data
• Integrate simulation pipelines with autonomy and CV software stacks
• Build tools for scenario generation, batch testing, and automated evaluation
• Collaborate with autonomy engineers to design mission-like test scenarios

Required Skills (or actively learning):

• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++
• Familiarity with physics based simulation tools
• Basic understanding of:
  • Rigid body dynamics, physics simulation, or robotics
• Comfortable working with Git and collaborative codebases

Bonus (Nice to Have):

• Experience with orbital mechanics or aerospace simulation
• Sensor modeling (cameras, LiDAR, IMU, radar)
• Rendering pipelines, lighting models, or photorealistic simulation
• ROS / robotics frameworks
• Experience validating simulation against real-world data