Founding Spacecraft Structures Engineer — Deployables

Orbital - Space Data Centers; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in founding team

Medical, dental, and vision - 100% for

PTO: Unlimited; no set hours

Location: Los Angeles - Arts District

Job summary

Orbital is building AI data centers in space and seeks an experienced spacecraft mechanical/structural engineer to join the founding team in Los Angeles. You’ll own the satellite’s primary structure and deployable mechanisms, guiding them from concept through design, integration, test, and flight.

You’ll work closely with the founding engineers to deliver a production satellite that houses GPU compute, manage mass, stiffness, and interfaces to the bus, and drive in-house manufacturing practices

Qualifications

• 5+ years in spacecraft mechanical/structural engineering.
• Hands-on deployable structures experience (solar arrays, radiators, booms).
• Experience with ABAQUS, ANSYS or NASTRAN.
• Strong FEA, launch and vibration loads, and materials (CFRP, aluminum, titanium).
• Proven ability to take design from concept to fabrication, integration and test.
• Comfort in an early-stage environment with rapid iteration and imperfect information.
• Hands-on builder who wants to own the whole problem.

Responsibilities

• Own the satellite’s primary structure and structural architecture across the mission roadmap.
• Design deployable solar array and radiator mechanisms: stowage, deployment, latching, on-orbit reliability.
• Run structural analysis including FEA, modal analysis, launch loads, vibration, and configurations.
• Define mechanical integration of the GPU payload and its interface to the bus.
• Own mass properties, CG, and SWaP budgets for the spacecraft.
• Interface with partners, vendors, test labs, and fabrication shops.
• Lead environmental test campaigns (vibration, TVAC, deployment testing).
• Establish mechanical engineering practices and in-house manufacturing processes.

Skills

Spacecraft structural engineering

Deployable structures

FEA

ABAQUS

ANSYS

NASTRAN

Launch loads

Build-to-flight

Tools

ABAQUS

ANSYS

NASTRAN

Job description

Orbital is building AI data centers in space and seeks an experienced spacecraft mechanical/structural engineer to join the founding team in Los Angeles. You’ll own the satellite’s primary structure and deployable mechanisms, guiding them from concept through design, integration, test, and flight.

You’ll work closely with the founding engineers to deliver a production satellite that houses GPU compute, manage mass, stiffness, and interfaces to the bus, and drive in-house manufacturing practices