A New Paradigm For Space Operations.
What You’ll Do:
The Mechanical Simulation Engineer will design and build prototypes for the Space Kinetic's core technology to achieve our mission of a flight demo within the next 2 years in a fast-paced startup environment.
You will work with the Space Kinetic manufacturing/engineering team to finalize the current prototype's CAD design. This entails refining the design with detailed tolerancing to cover all prototype development phases, completing mechanism design, providing 2D CAD drawings for manufacturing, and working with vendors to source components. Following this, you will be responsible for enhancing the prototype design to achieve significant weight reduction, targeting a 30% decrease and increasing its stiffness and rigidity.
The next phase involves revising the mechanism designs to incorporate the latest advancements, minimizing the vibration within the system. Subsequently, the prototype will undergo a mechanical redesign to ensure it is suitable for manufacturing, with specific attention to tolerancing for plating processes.
Additionally, you will adapt the prototype for future tests, such as air bearing, zero-g flights, and T-Vac chamber testing. This includes making structural adjustments to facilitate testing in various orientations and environments while ensuring the design meets rigorous safety standards.
Finally, the role involves comprehensive ongoing analysis of test data to inform and drive necessary design changes throughout the project duration. We should move closer to a flight-ready prototype with each new design iteration.
- Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering field with a minimum of 5 years of related experience. Advanced Degrees (Master’s or Ph.D.) in similar disciplines are highly desirable with corresponding technical expertise in an analysis field.
- Demonstrated experience in space vehicle structural load requirements across all mission phases: ground handling, transportation, launch/ascent, separation events, on-orbit operations, and disposal.
- Ability to translate mission concepts, trajectory, and GNC behaviors into structural load cases and requirements.
- Establish limit and ultimate loads, margins of safety, and applicable factors of safety per standards (NASA, DoD, ECSS, etc.)..
- Mid-level or higher expertise with some of key CAD and CAE packages (NASTRAN, FEMAP, ANSYS, Solidworks, NX, Simcenter 3D, Vibroacoustic, Thermal Desktop, NX Motion, Amesim etc) necessary.
- Ability to develop analytical models to determine load paths, internal member loads, and interface loads
- Ability to provide input to mass properties and structural sizing.
- Experience in designing and executing system and subsystem testing in a Environmental Test or R&D environment, understanding of data acquisition and adept at implementing design improvements based on test data desirable.
- Ability to evaluate static, dynamic, transient, shock, random vibration, sine vibration and vibroacoustic environments.
- Ability to work closely with Structures, Thermal, GNC, Propulsion, and System Engineering to ensure loads compatibility
- Ability to build and maintain a network of talented individuals. Prioritizes organizational and planning skills. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder).
- Ability to maintain or obtain a Government Security Clearance.
- Experience with space-rated component design analysis and test.
- Hands-on experience in testing for in-space operations.
- Passion for the commercial and government space industry.
- Demonstrated experience in spacecraft or launch vehicle system development.
- Experience in contributing technical expertise to the proposal writing process for the acquisition of grants and contracts.
- The position will be on site at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA.
What We Offer:
- Competitive Base Salary + Equity-Based Compensation
- Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
- Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure
- Health and Wellness Stipend
- Commuter Benefits
ITAR Requirements:
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.
Top Skills
What We Do
Space Kinetic is focused on our nation’s most urgent national security priorities.
Our goal is to rethink space operations down to first principles to deliver game-changing capabilities for missile defense and space superiority.
