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Here's what it's like to be one of the select few to intern at SpaceX

Jessica Orwig   

Here's what it's like to be one of the select few to intern at SpaceX
Science2 min read

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SpaceX

Jeff Ellenoff explains his role as a SpaceX intern at their rocket launch facility in Texas.

One of the most coveted engineering internship programs in the country is located at a famous facility on Rocket Road in Hawthorne, California: SpaceX headquarters.

The company builds most of its equipment in house, and that includes its fleet of Falcon 9 rockets, which shuttle payloads to the International Space Station.

Interns at SpaceX are treated as members of the team. They don't file papers or grab coffee - they test rocket engines and spacecraft. Only about 700 people are chosen for this internship each year.

SpaceX recently released this video on YouTube of their internship program, offering an inside look into what these interns do and what working at SpaceX is really like:

"This is not a normal internship," 2015 SpaceX intern David Larson says in the video. Larson works in SpaceX's structure department, which helps with hardware design.

SpaceX also has their rocket launch facility based in McGregor, Texas. There, they test the engines that power SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets. And yes, interns work there, too.

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SpaceX

Joshua Mann explains his role as a Propulsion intern at SpaceX.

"When an engine test happens, it's the most incredible thing you could possibly think of," SpaceX intern Jeff Ellenoff said. Ellenoff interns at the Texas base as a test engineer. "I get to come to work and play with spaceships all day."

While helping build, design, and test SpaceX rockets sounds great, the internship comes with some other notable perks as well.

"The benefits of being here at SpaceX: Free frozen yogurt," said SpaceX intern Joshua Mann, who interns at the company's headquarters and works in its Propulsion Department.

NOW WATCH: This is how Elon Musk wants to drastically reduce the cost of space flight

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