Space internships and fellowships for 2027: real programs, real deadlines
NASA OSTEM and Pathways, SpaceX and Blue Origin, the Brooke Owens and Patti Grace Smith fellowships, and the Isakowitz scholarship. What's open, what closed, and who qualifies.
The next hard deadline in this list is Nov. 6, 2026, for the Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship. After that, the big one is NASA’s Summer 2027 OSTEM internship deadline on March 1, 2027. Two of the best-known aerospace fellowships for undergraduates already closed in early October. Here’s the state of play as of Oct. 21, with dates checked against each program’s own page.
Open now or coming up
NASA OSTEM internships. Paid, project-based, 10 weeks in summer and 15 in fall or spring. NASA lists the Summer 2027 deadline as March 1, 2027, and Fall 2027 as May 24, 2027, both 11:59 p.m. ET, through the NASA STEM Gateway. You must be a U.S. citizen, 18 by the start date, hold a 3.0 GPA, and be enrolled in an accredited program (graduating high school seniors can apply for the following summer). STEM and non-STEM majors are both eligible. Individual centers can set earlier dates, so read the posting. Projects post on a rolling basis, which rewards checking early and often.
NASA Pathways. The long-form version, built to convert into federal employment, posted on USAJOBS. The requirements on NASA’s Pathways page are a 2.9 GPA, at least half-time enrollment, and the ability to work 480 hours before you finish your degree.
Matthew Isakowitz Commercial Space Scholarship. Due Nov. 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Run by the Commercial Space Federation with the foundation, it puts scholars into a summer internship in the Washington, D.C., area focused on space policy and strategy. The foundation’s page says applicants must be U.S. persons pursuing a master’s or doctorate as of December 2026. Some university notices describe broader eligibility; trust the foundation’s own FAQ. Note that the older Isakowitz Fellowship concluded in 2024 and isn’t taking new classes, though plenty of websites still list it.
Company internships. SpaceX and Blue Origin both run year-round intern programs, and both require U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or refugee or asylee status, the export-control reason for which we explain in our ITAR guide. Our jobs board filtered to internships shows what’s posted today across AI, robotics, aerospace and space companies.
Closed for this cycle, plan for next fall
Brooke Owens Fellowship. Paid internships plus mentorship for women and gender-minority undergraduates in aerospace. The FAQ says applications typically open in early fall and close in early October. Class of 2027 closed in the first week of October 2026.
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. Paid summer internships and mentorship, with a focus on Black undergraduates though open to all eligible applicants. The 2026 window ran Aug. 18 to Oct. 9.
Our take: the fellowships are the best deal in the industry for an undergraduate with no connections, and their calendars punish people who find out in October. Put “August: draft fellowship essays” in your calendar now.
What would change our advice: if any of these programs moves to rolling admissions, the “plan a year ahead” rule stops applying.
Not affiliated with NASA, SpaceX or any agency or company mentioned. Not investment advice. Disclaimer.