At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in May 2026. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.
Vast is looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer, Structures reporting to the Structures and Mechanisms Department to help us with the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach, CA location.
The Structures and Mechanisms team covers a wide range of components and responsibilities: from the primary pressure hull, to MMOD shielding and docking mechanism, establishing loads and Factors of Safety, as well as supporting other teams mechanical design needs across the company.
Responsibilities:
- Own the design of primary and secondary structures on a large scale space station.
- Develop an understanding of static and dynamic loads, vibrations, thermal and other environmental considerations to drive design decisions.
- Perform mechanical design and analysis, develop manufacturing drawings, test plans, and concept of operations and follow hardware through the entire process.
- Lead trades and own interfaces with all sub systems.
- Work with fabricators and technicians to improve designs, develop processes and resolve issues.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or physics.
- 4+ years experience with CAD and FEA software packages.
- 4+ years of experience designing and developing mechanical components or systems.
Preferred Skills & Experience:
- Design of structures and components for a high-performance vehicle or spacecraft.
- Proactive problem-solving skills such as failure analysis and root cause investigation.
- Prior experience in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.
- Design work in recent versions of NX, Teamcenter.
- Analysis work in recent versions of Ansys, FeMap/Nastran, Abaqus.
- Experience with GD&T implementation and analysis (ASME Y14.5).
- Familiarity with spacecraft specifications such as SMC-S-016, NASA-STD-5001.
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS
The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
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What We Do
Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2026, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030.
With more than 1,000 employees at its Long Beach, California headquarters and over a billion dollars in private capital invested, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.
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