Maryland Aerospace Career Launch @ Eastern Shore

The Maryland Space Grant Consortium (MDSGC), Salisbury University (SU) and Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) are excited to share an opportunity for an immersive full-time onsite work experience at Wallops during Summer 2026. Advisors are constructing projects for college and university students with a diverse range of career paths.

Over the summer, you will work hands-on with professionals across NASA and industry partners–engineers, scientists, business leaders, communications specialists, and technical experts–on real missions and projects. You will build skills that employers are actively seeking, contribute to the team effort that makes space exploration possible, and form connections with a community of peers who share your passion for the future of aerospace. The Maryland Aerospace Career Launch is designed to accelerate your career trajectory. Join us in shaping the future of the space economy–launching now from the Eastern Shore!

Apply Here

View Project Descriptions (PDF)

Funding & Logistics

Start Date: June 1, 2026 End Date: August 7, 2026

Work Schedule: Onsite at Wallops Flight Facility approximately 35 hours weekly (for a total of 350 hours) plus weekly cohort activities. Students are expected to participate in the full ten weeks of the program. There is no remote work capability or expectation of telework.

Award amount: Participants will receive a stipend of $8,200.
Student Eligibility and Requirements
To apply for the Maryland Aerospace Career Launch, a student must be:
- U.S. Citizen;
- 18 years of age or older;
- Rising Sophomore, Junior or Senior currently enrolled at a Maryland community college or university
Successful applicants must be available and willing to:
- Work regular full-time hours on-site at WFF during the program period;
- Participate in (approximately) twice-weekly cohort activities to be scheduled on evenings and occasional weekends during the program period, largely to be held at SU;
- Prepare and present a poster about the work experience to be delivered at the MDSGC Summer Symposium, the SU Summer Research Showcase, and/or an equivalent event;
- Participate in a presentation of your project work for the Wallops Community the last week of July;
- Conduct a community outreach project (e.g. a guest presentation at a local high school) that will be planned in consultation with program leaders and carried out during Fall 2026.
Application and Award Timeline
- Student Recruitment begins: February 10, 2026
- Priority Application Deadline: February 28, 2026
- Final Student Application Deadline: April 17, 2026
- Awards will be announced no later than May 15, 2026
The selection process will begin after the priority application deadline and continue until all positions are filled. No further applications will be accepted after the final application deadline.
Additional Details

Summer housing on SU’s campus is available for participants upon request.

Upon your acceptance of an offer under this program, you will be required to travel to Wallops Flight Facility for initial identity verification, fingerprinting, and badging. Students will need to pass a background investigation to participate. More information will be provided regarding onboarding logistics and other important Wallops information. An Acceptance Package will be emailed to you upon confirmation of your acceptance of the project with badging and other logistics. Please do not hesitate to contact Pat Benner (Patricia.A.Benner@nasa.gov) if you have any questions.