Flight Dynamics Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation; Huntsville (TN); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Relocation assistance

401(k) plan

Growth opportunities

Education assistance

Inclusive culture

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation seeks a Member of the Technical Staff–Flight Mechanics for a hybrid role across multiple U.S. locations. The position emphasizes trajectory design, astrodynamics, and mission optimization, with a requirement for potential travel and security clearances.

The role includes senior responsibilities and collaborative engineering work with defense, intelligence, and civil customers. Applicants should hold a relevant technical degree, have experience in flight mechanics, and

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Trajectory design and optimization for launch vehicles and spacecraft across LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO.

Skills

Flight mechanics

Astrodynamics

Trajectory optimization

C/C++

Python

MATLAB

Linux

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace/physics/math

Tools

ASSET

GPOPS-II

SNOPT

GMAT

EMTG

OTIS

POST

Copernicus

Job description

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) drives integration of Aerospace’s strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The divisionleveragesa broad array of engineering disciplines against a dynamic portfolio of programs, customers, and national challenges. EED spans the capability lifecycle from concept and architecture design to performance assessment to application of space and space-enabled capabilities.

As a corecomponentof EED, the Earth Orbit Flight Dynamics Department (EOFDD) providesflight mechanicsexpertisefor launch vehiclesand space vehicles.Relevant skillsinclude orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, trajectory design and optimization, and 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 willprovideexpertisefor 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 tofacilitateintegrated solutions for our customers’ hardest problems. Customers will includedefense, intelligence, and civil and commercialorganizations.

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 candidatewill workat least4days 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 missionsoperatingin LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO, and other earth-centric regimes

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

• Analysis of vehicles with chemical and/or electric propulsion

• Evaluating contested missionapplications 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,selection, and optimization for missions that support Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO)objectiveswith 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

• Utilizingoptimalcontrol, 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 andmaintaina healthy and modern internal tool base

• Leveraging external tools like ASSET, GPOPS-II, SNOPT, POST, OTIS, Copernicus, GMAT, EMTG, etc. whereappropriate toaugment internally developed capabilities

Additionalinter-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

MinimumRequirements 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 experienceinflight mechanics,astrodynamics,maneuver optimization,trajectory optimization, launch vehicle trajectory design,hypersonic vehicle modeling, orgeneraltrajectory modeling and simulation

• Proficiencyin one or more of the following programming languagesand environments: C, C++, Fortran, Python,Linux, and/or MATLAB

• Willing to traveldomesticallyapprox.10%

• The ability to obtain andmaintaina__US security clearance isrequired. U.S citizenship isrequiredto obtain a security clearance.

• The ability to obtain andmaintaina TS clearance (SSBI) with SCI access is strongly preferred (applicant will besubmittedfor this clearance upon hiring if they do not currentlypossessit)

In addition to the above, the minimumrequirements for the Senior Member of the Technical Staff – Flight Mechanics positioninclude:

• Five or moreyears of experience of relevant technical workor PhD

• Demonstrated technical excellence in the relevantjobcapabilitiesand functions

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

How You Can Stand Out

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

• Advanced degree inaeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines is strongly desired

• Graduatelevelcourse work,researchand/or experience in one or more of the following areas:orbitalmechanics,astrodynamics, ascent trajectory modeling, hypersonic flight simulation,optimalcontrol, flight mechanics,and/ortrajectory modeling and simulation

• Experienceusing orbuilding 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/SCIand/orTS/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

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change
• Engage with Impact
• Foster Innovation
• Deliver Results

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type. A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans

• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation

• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options

• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire

• Flexible spending accounts

• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions

• Relocation assistance

• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career

• Education assistance programs

• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an equalopportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, geneticinformation, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by [e-mail] .You can also reviewKnow Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.