I applied online. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at SpaceX (VAFB, CA) in Jul 2014
Interview
4 separate interviews:
1.) Phone interview - HR asked general questions
2.) Phone interview - Hiring manager talks about the specific position and why its needed. Resume generally is reviewed. Mine was not as I talked 35 of the 40 minutes. Not too technical.
3.) Onsite interview - PowerPoint presentation previously prepared and sent to HR. This was presented in front of a team of 5 guys including the onsite director. Following the 15-20 minute presentation there are technical questions relating to many things both about the presentation and about current issues at the company and future potential problems that do not currently exist. Once done, a tour was given around the site. I was introduced to more workers that also asked me to help give on the spot ideas/fixes for current issues. I don't think this is common.
4.) Onsite interview - Last set of interviews was done at the main facility in Hawthorn. Here I had 4 separate 30 minute interviews. First was with my HR contact. She gave a tour of the mega awesome facility and also discussed pay expectations. Second person was VERY technical and right away jumped into the discussion of a rocket launch quick release mechanism. I had to redesign a full mechanism and describe how it works. While doing this new parameters were added. This is done to see how quickly and accurately you react on your feet. They also like to say things just loud enough for you to hear and respond too if you catch on (i.e. This rocket went 1000 meters in the air... whatever that is in feet...). Answers these statements. It is part of the interview process. Third was more relaxed about the resume mostly. Make sure you can explain in depth about whatever is on your resume. Fourth was with the VP of propulsion and another person that was not previously mentioned. This last interview was also very technical. We instantly jumped into I-beams, their purpose reason for their design, equations (what I added to the mix), reason for no design change to them. Then I was asked about pressure vessels and factors needed to determine finite element stresses in the pressure vessel wall. After that the two interviewers talked too each other about something related to what i had on my resume. I quickly responded to them and it surprised them because what they talked about was more advanced then what I wrote down. They asked me to explain and once I did they were very happy.
Everyone was very kind, very smart, and fun to talk too
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Other Launch Engineer Interview Reviews for SpaceX
interview process was long and tedious. started with a recruiter screening, minimal technical questions, then moved to a hiring manager technical interview, following this was a technical presentation to a panel of engineers, i was then brought on site for an interview which included another pannel interview, site walkaround and questioning, then a written multiple choise mechanical assessmnet.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
shear and moment diagrams, fluid basics, pipe flow, compressible flow.
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at SpaceX (Cape Canaveral, FL) in Nov 2025
Interview
The interview started with 15 minute going through your past project / experiences. Followed up with 15 minute rapid fire technical questions (3 questions including topics from mechanical, fluids, and FEA)
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
If your FEA tells you the part fails, do you trust it?
The first round was a technical interview with lots of rapid fire technical questions. It was over the phone which made it hard to stop and think about how to answer each question.