Inside Orbotic Systems — How a High School Intern Helped setup a Space Website
In this journal, Patrick recounts his internship at Orbotic Systems—a space technology company developing active debris removal systems and satellite propulsion innovations. As the only high school student on the team, he contributed to the company’s successful $850,000 NASA SBIR Phase II award by drafting proposal materials, creating MATLAB models to calculate satellite lifespans, and analyzing markets in ISAM and space insurance. Patrick reflects on learning to take initiative, communicate professionally, and turn curiosity into measurable impact, discovering that real aerospace innovation lies not just in technology, but in collaboration, precision, and persistence.
Published On: Nov 4, 2025
When I joined Orbotic Systems, I didn’t step into a typical high school internship. This was a company building real technologies to clean up space — designing satellites and systems that could actually change how we manage orbital debris. I wasn’t there to “shadow” engineers or take notes. I was there to contribute.
At first, my responsibilities were small — assisting with web infrastructure and digital updates. But even those early tasks taught me that space technology is as much about precision and documentation as it is about vision. Every line of code, every page update, had a purpose: to communicate reliability in a field where nothing can fail.
Over time, I was trusted with more. I helped draft technical and business materials for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal to NASA — a project that would eventually secure an $850,000 Phase II grant. The funding went toward developing RIDDANCE, Orbotic’s advanced net-and-tether system for active debris removal.
While I wasn’t the one writing equations for the tether’s deployment mechanics, I was part of the process that made those equations matter — calculating satellite lifespan models in MATLAB, generating graphs for mission analysis, and researching how markets like In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) and space insurance could support the technology’s future.
What surprised me most was how much the team treated me like an equal. As the youngest person in the company — the only high school student — I expected to simply observe. Instead, I was encouraged to question, to contribute, and to take ownership of my work. When I handed in a task, I didn’t just submit results; I submitted documentation, notes, and proposals for improvement.
Those small habits became my foundation for working in aerospace. I learned that initiative matters more than instruction — that innovation starts with curiosity, but sustains itself through discipline.
One of the most meaningful moments came not from coding or analysis, but from connection. I invited Orbotic’s CEO, Erik Long, to speak at a school event alongside MIT’s Dr. Brown, who presented his research on electrostatic lift. Coordinating the event — from scheduling to technical logistics — showed me that leadership in engineering isn’t just about building systems; it’s about building relationships.
Looking back, my time at Orbotic Systems was where everything I’d been learning through Axion Aerospace and EcoAero came together. From digital design to sustainability storytelling, this internship was the bridge between those worlds — between imagination and implementation.
It showed me that real aerospace innovation isn’t about launching the biggest rocket or building the fastest satellite. It’s about creating technologies that make space safer, more sustainable, and more human.
And for me, it confirmed something deeper: that I could make a meaningful contribution not someday, but right now.
— Patrick