Building Tomorrow’s Mission Leaders
How Astrion’s Explorer Internship Program is building the future workforce for defense and space
The future of national security depends on more than breakthrough technology. It depends on the people who will design it, test it, secure it and deliver it to the warfighter.
That’s why Astrion’s Explorer Internship Program exists.
More than a summer internship, the Explorer Program is designed to immerse students in meaningful mission work while developing the technical, analytical and leadership skills they’ll need throughout their careers. From engineering and data analysis to contracts and corporate functions, interns don’t simply observe. They contribute.
This summer, Astrion welcomed 38 interns representing universities across the country, including Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Central Florida, the University of Kentucky, San Diego State University, the University of New Mexico, Athens State University and many others. Together, they supported customer programs and internal initiatives in Huntsville, Alabama; Columbia, Maryland; Kennedy Space Center, Florida; NASA Ames Research Center in California; \ and other Astrion locations across the country.
For many, the summer marked their first experience supporting real-world defense, space and federal missions.
For Astrion, it represented another investment in developing the workforce that will help solve tomorrow’s most complex national security challenges.
“Developing the next generation of engineers, scientists and business professionals is an important investment in the future of our company, our industry and the customers we serve. The Explorer Program reflects Astrion’s commitment to helping early-career talent learn, grow and begin building meaningful careers.”said Monique Sturdyvin, Chief People Officer.
Learning Through Experience
Throughout the summer, interns worked alongside engineers, scientists, analysts and business professionals across Astrion. Through mentoring, shadowing and practical assignments, they gained insight into how multidisciplinary teams support customer missions across defense and space.Their work contributed to programs supporting the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA and other federal customers.
Rather than completing isolated assignments, interns were trusted with projects that challenged them to solve real problems and contribute to mission outcomes while learning from experienced mentors.
One example was Charles Epple, a mechanical engineering student from the University of Maryland, who spent the summer with SEG in Columbia, Maryland.
Charles developed a verification and validation tool that enhanced an updated debris modeling process while supporting improvements to an internal computation system used on a threat engineering program. His work demonstrated that innovation at Astrion can come from every level of the organization, including early-career talent trusted with meaningful technical challenges.
During the program’s closing celebration, Charles was recognized with the opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Rocket City Trash Pandas game, a memorable way to celebrate not only his contributions but the accomplishments of the entire intern class.
Across the program, experiences like Charles’ reinforced an important principle. When talented students are trusted with meaningful work, they develop confidence, strengthen technical skills and bring fresh perspectives that benefit both the team and the mission.
Innovation doesn’t always come from years of experience. Sometimes it comes from giving talented people the opportunity to solve meaningful problems early in their careers.
Developing Leaders Through the Executive Capstone
The Explorer Program is designed to develop more than technical skills.
Every intern participates in a capstone case study competition that strengthens critical thinking, executive communication and strategic decision-making.
Working in cross-functional teams, interns explored current business and workforce topics, researched potential solutions and developed recommendations for Astrion leadership.
Over several weeks, each team researched its challenge, developed recommendations, created implementation roadmaps and prepared executive-level presentations.
The program concluded with team presentations to members of Astrion’s Executive Leadership Team, providing interns an opportunity to strengthen their communication skills while receiving feedback from senior leaders. The presentations challenged interns to defend their recommendations, respond to executive questions and communicate with confidence, helping build the leadership skills that complement technical expertise and prepare them for future careers.
The capstone also brought interns from across the country together, giving them the opportunity to collaborate beyond their day-to-day teams while experiencing Astrion’s culture firsthand.
From Intern to Mission Professional
One of the strongest measures of the Explorer Program’s success isn’t what happens during the summer.
It’s what happens after graduation.
One measure of the Explorer Program’s long-term value is the opportunity for interns to pursue careers with Astrion after graduation.
Many former interns have returned to Astrion in full-time roles, bringing with them an understanding of the company’s culture, mission and collaborative approach to serving customers.
While every intern’s path is unique, the Explorer Program is designed to provide a strong foundation for future professional growth and continued learning.
For Ashkan Moughari, returning to Astrion was an easy decision.
“The biggest reason I decided to return was the people and the work environment. From day one, I felt welcomed and supported by everyone around me.”
Ashkan credits Astrion’s collaborative culture and mentorship with giving him opportunities to think critically, solve complex engineering challenges and contribute in meaningful ways.
His advice to current interns reflects that experience.
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions, take on challenges and step outside your comfort zone. Every project is a chance to learn and grow, and the experiences you gain today will help you throughout your career.”
Christian McDonald found the same sense of purpose.
“I chose to return because of my team, a small, talented group of engineers working on new technologies. Being in the lab every day, solving problems and learning from them made the work exciting.”
Working alongside experienced engineers, Christian developed new technical skills, including Linux and Bash scripting, while gaining hands-on experience that extended far beyond the classroom.
His advice is simple.
“Ask as many questions as you need. You may be outside the classroom, but this is still your time to learn.”
Their experiences reflect what the Explorer Program is designed to achieve: giving students the opportunity to grow into professionals who are ready to contribute from day one.
Investing in the Future
As the aerospace and defense industry evolves, developing the next generation of engineers, scientists, analysts and business professionals is more important than ever.
The Explorer Internship Program reflects Astrion’s long-term commitment to that mission.
By combining mentorship, professional development, executive engagement and practical learning experiences, the Explorer Program helps students better understand careers supporting defense, space and federal customers while building skills they can carry forward throughout their professional journey. As Astrion looks ahead to welcoming the 2027 Explorer cohort, the goal remains unchanged: creating opportunities for students to learn, grow and explore careers that support some of the nation’s most important missions.