SpaceX Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 1,925 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
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30 roles · 1,925 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at SpaceX.
SpaceX
Propulsion Engineer
Mid Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 8 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite Presentation Technical screen
Interview formats
Technical Presentation Technical
Recruiter screening with 3 technical questions was the first step. Next, a 30-minute technical interview with a manager and then another 30-minute technical interview with a director followed. The final stage was an on-site interview, which included a 30-minute technical presentation and five one-on-one technical interviews or technical walk-and-talks with various engineers, managers, and directors.
Confirmed questions0 questions
No confirmed questions were included in this interview report.
SpaceX
Launch Operations Intern
Intern Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral
I had three phone interviews, each lasting about 30-45 minutes. They asked a mix of technical questions, some brain-teasers, and also wanted me to talk about my past experiences. I spoke with the intern manager, my potential intern mentor, and another engineer on the team. I had plenty of opportunities to ask them questions and show what I can do technically.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Thinking about your previous internships, what was the most difficult challenge you encountered and had to learn to overcome?
SpaceX
Embedded Software Engineer
Mid Average Positive experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Coding
I applied online and heard back from a recruiter within a week. We had a 30-minute call where he asked about my resume and specific contributions to a project relevant to the role, along with standard questions like "Why SpaceX?" and a heads-up about long hours. He then sent me a link to schedule a call with the team's lead engineer. This 45-minute call involved a deep dive into a relevant project for about 35 minutes, ending with a puzzle question. I didn't proceed further, but they mentioned the next steps would be live coding with engineers and a full-day onsite, including a tour and team meetings. It was a positive and fast experience.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- Can you tell me why you chose SpaceX?
- Regarding your project, what was your reasoning behind the design choice for [X]?
- Could you explain how the [X] component functioned and integrated into the broader system?
SpaceX
Structures Design Engineer
Mid Average Neutral experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen Presentation Background check Offer
Interview formats
Technical Behavioral Presentation
First, there was a 30 min recruiter phone call where they asked some simple technical questions. They also asked which project I would present and then disagreed with my choice, recommending a different one. The second round was another 30 min phone interview with a team engineer. They asked 15 technical questions and 1 behavioral question, all pretty basic about beam analysis and failure. The third round was a 1-hour phone call with the lead structures engineer. We discussed my portfolio and projects, and they asked some questions during my presentation. I thought it went well, but I got an automated rejection the next day.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- For a flagpole with an axial point load at the top, what would be the failure mode?
- What would be the optimal geometry for this flagpole?
- What boundary conditions should be considered for the flagpole?
SpaceX Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from SpaceX interview reports.
“What happens to the speed of an air bubble as it moves up in a pool?”
Read reports →“What is the natural frequency of a mass on the free end of a cantilever beam?”
Read reports →“What happens to the water level in a lake if you throw an object off a boat that's in the lake?”
Read reports →“For a fixed cantilever beam with a point load P at the end, what is the equation for deflection?”
Read reports →“What would happen to a balloon if placed in a freezer, and what's the reason behind it?”
Read report →“If a copper wire is under tension, will the rubber or the copper bear more of the load?”
Read report →“Regarding a cantilever beam with a point load at the free end, where would failure most likely occur?”
Read report →“Where would a beam experience the highest stress if a point load was applied at its end?”
Read report →“Given oversized bolt holes in the square plate, how would the load distribution on the bolts be affected?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 1,925 SpaceX interview reports.