NASA Lunar Dust Mitigation Internship

NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is looking for an undergraduate intern to help develop passive coatings that stop abrasive, electrically charged lunar dust sticking to surfaces on the Moon. The Spring 2027 placement is full time, in person and mostly hands-on lab work alongside NASA researchers.

What you get:

• A full-time, in-person Spring session internship at NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio (Spring sessions run 15 weeks)
• Mentoring from NASA personnel on a live lunar exploration research problem
• A stipend: NASA says the majority of interns receive one, based on academic level and session length; the amount is not published on the opening

What you'll do:

• Deposit coatings using sputter deposition
• Characterise coating material properties
• Test coating performance under lunar-like conditions simulated inside vacuum chambers
• Some desk and computer work alongside the lab work

Key dates:

• Registration opened June 12, 2026
• Registration closed September 14, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET
• Summer 2027 session deadline (other openings): February 26, 2027
• Fall 2027 session deadline (other openings): May 21, 2027

More information:

• NASA internship programme overview and FAQ at intern.nasa.gov
• Engagement contact: nasa-internships@mail.nasa.gov

• US citizens only
• Undergraduate juniors or seniors
• At least 16 years old at time of application
• Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (OSTEM internships)
• Full-time or part-time student at a US accredited technical school, college or university
• Prior experience in materials engineering, lab research, microscopy or spectroscopy, vacuum chambers or coatings is a plus but not required