Job Description:

The in-space manufacturing market is growing rapidly, with an increasing number of providers offering access to microgravity environments for research, pharmaceutical development, and advanced materials manufacturing. However, customers - from biotech firms to university research groups - often struggle to navigate the landscape of available providers, compare capabilities, and initiate procurement conversations. This project addresses that gap.

The intern will act as a product owner and commercial lead for the development of a Microgravity Service Provider Marketplace: an online platform connecting providers operating in the field of biotech enabled by space, with potential customers seeking access to microgravity environments. Think of it as an Amazon Marketplace for in-space services. A working prototype has already been developed using Lovable, and this internship will take it through to go live, through user research, commercial validation, and iterative platform development.

The intern will:

• Engage directly with microgravity service providers to gather capability data, pricing structures, and launch cadence information to populate and refine the platform.

• Conduct user research with potential customers (biotech, pharma, materials science, academia) to validate platform requirements and uncover unmet needs.

• Own and iterate on the platform prototype, using tools such as Lovable, to improve UX and functionality based on feedback.

• Support business development activity — reaching out to potential users, running discovery conversations, and building a pipeline of interest.

• Document findings, produce commercial insights, and present recommendations to the Beyond Earth Mission team at the Satellite Applications Catapult.

The successful applicant should have the following qualities and abilities:

This internship offers a combination of commercial, technical, and market development experience at the frontier of the space economy.

Technical Skills:

• Platform Development: The intern will build hands-on experience using modern no-code/low-code development tools (particularly Lovable) alongside core web fundamentals, iterating on a live product with real stakeholder input.

• User-Centred Design: Through structured user research and feedback cycles, the intern will develop practical UX skills — learning how to translate customer needs into platform features and improvements.

• Market Research & Analysis: The intern will develop the ability to profile an emerging market, map service providers and their capabilities, and synthesise commercial intelligence into actionable outputs.

Human Skills:

• Commercial Acumen: The intern will gain real exposure to B2B sales and business development, running outreach, hosting discovery conversations, and building relationships with both providers and potential customers.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Working with space industry organisations, SAC mission teams, and external partners will build confidence in professional communication at all levels.

• Entrepreneurial Thinking: Acting as product owner for an early-stage marketplace will develop initiative, problem-solving, and the ability to make decisions with incomplete information.

By the end of the project, the intern will have direct experience building and commercialising a digital product in one of the most exciting emerging segments of the UK space sector.

Academic Requirements: Currently studying or recently graduated with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Business, User-Centred Design, or a related discipline.

Minimum Requirements:

• A genuine interest in the UK space sector and in-space manufacturing markets.

• Some experience with, or enthusiasm for, software development and digital product building.

• Confident communicator — able to lead conversations with external organisations and represent the Catapult professionally.

• Commercially curious, with the ability to think about products from a customer perspective.

• Self-starter who can take ownership of tasks and work independently.

• Proficiency in standard productivity tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Desirable Requirements:

• Prior experience building platforms or digital products (including no-code tools).

• Exposure to business development, sales, or customer discovery.

• Familiarity with the space or deep tech ecosystem.

Process details:

• 8 weeks minimum fixed term contract to be agreed with successful candidate

• 5 days holiday to be taken during the placement

How we work at Satellite Applications Catapult….

We strive to create a high trust, high performance and inclusive environment that enables team members to bring their whole selves to work – this helps to create the foundations of an innovation culture. Our shared values are critical to this:

• We care - for our people, our partners, and our planet

• We connect - and engage with people and ideas

• We learn - and grow, as people and as an industry

Underpinning this is our belief in great teams, our combined efforts will always deliver outcomes beyond that of anyone providing we are honest through debate, experiment and reflect, and create shared resolutions in support of our purpose. Live these values, work to our principles, take ownership to deliver, and we are certain you will thrive with us.

This job description set outs the skills and experience we think are needed to be able to perform in this job. However, if you believe you can deliver in this role then we want to hear from you.

Important notice for applicants: We use tools to detect plagiarism and the use of AI or chatbots for applicant answers. If plagiarism, AI use (such as ChatGPT) or similar software are found to have been used in your application you will not be considered for this or future roles within the Satellite Applications Catapult. If you need any additional support during the application process, please do reach out and connect. We also invite you to share feedback via Applied.

At Satellite Applications Catapult, we're committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. We welcome candidates from all corners of the globe, but due to legal and logistical considerations, we want to be transparent about the potential visa-related challenges that could arise. Our ability to offer sponsorship will depend on the level of interest for our roles and salary level. Unfortunately we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

If you need any additional support during the application process, please do reach out and connect. We also invite you to share feedback via Applied.