The Role
Lead development and operational execution of flight dynamics capabilities including orbit propagation, maneuver planning and automation, trajectory design for GEO/cislunar/interplanetary missions, inertial navigation advancement, covariance and navigation analyses, and rapid support for mission-critical phases working with Space Ops, Mission Design, GNC, and Software.
Summary Generated by Built In
As a Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer at Impulse Space, you will lead the development and operational execution of flight dynamics capabilities across current and future programs. This role spans real-time mission support, automation of maneuver execution, trajectory development for new missions, and advancement of inertial navigation beyond LEO. You will work closely with Space Operations, Mission Design, GNC, and Software to make ambitious trajectories operationally executable.
Responsibilities
- Support Space Operations in planning, analyzing, and executing nominal and novel orbital maneuvers
- Automate maneuver planning and execution workflows to improve speed, reliability, and scalability
- Build and maintain flight dynamics tools used daily by Space Ops (orbital propagation, targeting, orbital determination, covariance analysis, maneuver reconstruction)
- Partner with Mission Design to develop and mature new trajectories for GEO, cislunar, and interplanetary missions
- Contribute to development of inertial navigation and orbit determination capabilities across GEO, cislunar, and deep-space regimes
- Perform trade studies balancing ΔV, time-of-flight, operational complexity, and navigation sensitivity
- Support critical mission phases with high-confidence analysis and rapid turnaround
Minimum Qualifications
- B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Astrodynamics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field (M.S. or Ph.D. preferred)
- 7+ years of experience in spacecraft flight dynamics, astrodynamics, or mission design
- Demonstrated experience with orbit propagation, maneuver targeting, and covariance analysis
- Experience supporting spacecraft operations or mission-critical events
- Proficiency in Python and/or C++ for engineering tool development
- Experience developing production-quality technical software
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience in GEO, cislunar, or interplanetary mission regimes
- Experience with low-thrust trajectory design and optimization
- Development or maintenance of orbit determination filters (EKF, UKF, batch least squares)
- Familiarity with DSN-based navigation, optical navigation, or deep-space tracking
- Experience automating operational flight dynamics pipelines
- Background collaborating closely with GNC and flight software teams
- Familiarity with GMAT, STK, Orekit, MONTE, or similar astrodynamics tools
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
Skills Required
- B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Astrodynamics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field
- M.S. or Ph.D. in related field
- 7+ years of experience in spacecraft flight dynamics, astrodynamics, or mission design
- Demonstrated experience with orbit propagation, maneuver targeting, and covariance analysis
- Experience supporting spacecraft operations or mission-critical events
- Proficiency in Python and/or C++ for engineering tool development
- Experience developing production-quality technical software
- Applicants must be U.S. Persons or eligible to obtain an export license under ITAR/EAR
- Experience in GEO, cislunar, or interplanetary mission regimes
- Experience with low-thrust trajectory design and optimization
- Development or maintenance of orbit determination filters (EKF, UKF, batch least squares)
- Familiarity with DSN-based navigation, optical navigation, or deep-space tracking
- Experience automating operational flight dynamics pipelines
- Background collaborating closely with GNC and flight software teams
- Familiarity with GMAT, STK, Orekit, MONTE, or similar astrodynamics tools
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The Company
What We Do
Impulse enables low-cost and nimble last-mile space payload delivery - access any orbit, reach other worlds.
