
SpaceX Engineering Intern Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 25 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at SpaceX.
Engineering Intern
I had 2 technical rounds, and they were both 45 minutes long. They asked me basic engineering questions like about a cantallevered beam, flow through a pipe, and hydraulics. You really needed to know first principle engineering to pass.
- Could you explain a cantallevered beam?
- What is the pressure of a pipe with varying area?
- Can you answer some hydraulics questions?
Engineering Intern
A recruiter contacted me for an interview. I then met with two engineers. They typically structure intern interviews by asking about a project from your resume that they then thoroughly examine. After that, they ask some basic technical questions, like about cantilever deflection or material properties, to understand your thought process. You can usually tell what kind of questions to expect based on the specific role; for instance, manufacturing or mechanical roles might involve mechanics of materials questions, while avionics or electrical roles could involve circuits. The interviewer was very approachable and friendly. If you prepare well, you should do fine, as intern interviews are generally not as challenging as full-time job interviews.
- Could you elaborate on a project from your resume that you found particularly rewarding?
- Describe the point load acting on a cantilever.
- Can you explain the distinctions between two specific properties?
Engineering Intern
Met with recruiters at the University career fair. Got a phone interview about 4 weeks later with a manager. It was pretty straightforward, mostly discussing my resume and experience, with a few technical questions thrown in. Then, I had a second phone interview with another engineer from the same department. This one lasted about an hour and was quite technical. We mainly focused on my resume, going into detail about specific points. It's important to have in-depth knowledge of what's on your resume and be able to connect it to how it would be useful at SpaceX. Basically, know your stuff thoroughly, no vague answers.
- Can you talk about your resume and experience?
- Could you explain what rad hard materials are?
- What are some materials testing and characterization equipment?
SpaceX Engineering Intern Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from SpaceX interview reports.
“Regarding a cantilever beam loaded downwards at the edge, where is the highest stress point located?”
Read reports →“What are the two parts that constitute a low-pass filter?”
Read reports →“What are the differences between stress and strain?”
Read reports →“Can you explain how to measure the output voltage of a low-pass filter?”
Read reports →“What is the pressure of a pipe with varying area?”
Read report →“What are the principles of mass flow?”
Read report →“Could you calculate the maximum stress in a beam?”
Read report →“Can you explain the working principle of a pressure relief valve?”
Read report →“Given two cubes with identical dimensions, what are six distinct methods to tell them apart?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 25 SpaceX interview reports.