Space Flight Dynamics Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) leverages a broad array of engineering disciplines against a diverse and dynamic portfolio of programs, customers, and national challenges within the space enterprise. EED spans the capability lifecycle from concept and architecture design to performance assessment to application of space and space-enabled capabilities.

As a core component of EED, the Earth Orbit Flight Dynamics Department (EOFDD) provides space flight mechanics expertise for launch vehicles and space vehicles. Relevant skills include orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, trajectory design and optimization, and trans atmospheric flight modeling and simulation. We are looking for a Member of the Technical Staff/Senior Member of the Technical Staff to join the EOFDD team. The selected candidate will provide expertise for a wide range of customer flight mechanics needs, supporting both analysis and research and development requests. The work will require candidates to provide deep technical solutions while also collaborating with engineering partners to facilitate integrated solutions for our customers’ hardest problems. Customers will include defense, intelligence, and civil and commercial organizations.

Work Model

- This position will be a hybrid work model based in El Segundo, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, Chantilly, VA, or Albuquerque, NM, with the expectation that the selected candidate will work at least 4 days a week onsite, as the business needs allow.

What You’ll Be Doing

Primary Support

- Trajectory design and optimization for launch vehicles and spacecraft for missions operating in Earth-centric regimes (e.g., LEO, MEO, HEO, and GEO)

- Astrodynamics and orbital mechanics analysis including orbit propagation, maneuver design, optimization for orbit transfer, stationkeeping, graveyard, disposal, and reentry events

- Analysis of vehicles with chemical and/or electric propulsion

- Evaluating contested mission applications for space systems to understand threat performance, assess vulnerabilities, and improve system resiliency

- Exploring and defining the evolving Dynamic Space Operations (DSO) mission area

- Maneuver and orbit design for missions that support Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) objectives with complex operational constraints

- Developing Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), exploring Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), and incorporating operational constraints into the design and maturation of space systems

- Providing operational support for nominal launch and spacecraft deployment and transfer sequences, anomaly resolution, and on-call emerging events

- Utilizing optimal control, flight mechanics, and computer science/algorithm development skills to create new capabilities to service customer requests as stand-alone services and/or ready-to-integrate submodules

- Combining AI/ML/RL techniques with flight mechanics modeling for assessing complex analysis and decision-making trade spaces

- Performing research and development and building new flight dynamics tools to cultivate and maintain a healthy and modern internal tool base

- Leveraging external tools like ASSET, GPOPS-II, SNOPT, POST, OTIS, Copernicus, GMAT, EMTG, etc. where appropriate to augment internally developed capabilities

Additional inter-department partnership collaborations opportunities:

- Cislunar and exploration-class orbital mechanics analysis and trajectory optimization

- Hypersonics, missiles, interceptors, and reentry vehicle trajectory design and optimization

- Time-dependent Traveling Salesman Problems and Facility Location Problem analysis

- Integrated, multi-disciplinary RPO system simulations

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for the Member of the Technical Staff – Flight Mechanics position:

- Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines

- Two years of experience in flight mechanics, astrodynamics, maneuver optimization, trajectory optimization, launch vehicle trajectory design, hypersonic vehicle modeling, or general trajectory modeling and simulation

- Proficiency in one or more of the following programming languages and environments: C, C++, Fortran, Python, Linux, and/or MATLAB

- Willing to travel domestically approximately 10% of the time

- The ability to obtain and maintain a US security clearance is required. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

- The ability to obtain and maintain a TS clearance (SSBI) with SCI access is strongly preferred (applicant will be submitted for this clearance upon hiring if they do not currently possess it)

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for the Senior Member of the Technical Staff – Flight Mechanics position include:

- Five or more years of experience of relevant technical work or PhD

- Demonstrated technical excellence in the relevant job capabilities and functions

- The ability to operate independently, often in the presence of ambiguity, and still deliver high quality, relevant end products to a range of customers

- Clear communication and chartsmanship of highly technical content often intended for audiences of varying technical familiarity with concise language and intuitive visuals

How You Can Stand Out

It is impressive if you have one or more of these:

- Advanced degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines is strongly desired

- Graduate level course work, research and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, ascent trajectory modeling, hypersonic flight simulation, optimal control, flight mechanics, and/or trajectory modeling and simulation

- Experience using or building analysis software to combine numerical methods, orbital or flight mechanics, and optimization approaches for launch vehicles, missiles, interceptors, spacecraft, or reentry vehicles (hypersonics)

- Experience with nonlinear programming (non-linear programming), direct methods, gradient-based optimization, parameter optimization, genetic algorithms, evolutionary algorithms, heuristic optimization methods, indirect methods, and/or calculus of variations

- Advanced algorithm development skills to include parallel processing and scripting experience

- Experience with contested space trajectory applications, military exercises, and wargaming events

- Current TS/SCI and/or TS/SAP Access

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)
$95,200.00 - $165,500.00

Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies