Space Environments Engineer

Socket.dev; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Intuitive Machines is seeking a Space Environments Engineer to join the JETS Space Environments team and provide multidisciplinary technical analysis and modeling for NASA missions such as Artemis and Moon Base. You will work with NASA civil servants and contractors to define environments, analyze contamination, and support verification throughout program life cycles.

The role requires strong analytical skills, programming capability, and the ability to collaborate across engineering disciplines

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering and 5–10 years of related experience.
• MS or PhD is preferred for advanced roles and progression.
• License and certification may be required for certain programs.

Responsibilities

• Define natural and induced space environments through multidisciplinary analysis and modeling.
• Develop and update semi-empirical and theoretical models of processes affecting spacecraft environments.
• Analyze contamination sources, including lunar dust, and transport from outgassing and plumes to spacecraft and payloads.
• Assess optical property degradation and exposure to UV and ionizing radiation in space environments.
• Provide systems engineering support in requirements and verification across programs.

Skills

Analytical skills

Computational modeling

Programming for modeling

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

MS or PhD preferred

Professional engineering license

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Creo

NX

ParaView

Job description

About Intuitive Machines:

Intuitive Machines is an innovative and cutting-edge space company making cislunar space accessible to both public and private customers. Our mission is to further science and exploration, communications, and economic progress from the Earth to the Moon and beyond. With multiple NASA lunar missions in development and additional private missions on our manifest, we pride ourselves in supporting NASA, our customers, and the nation in paving the way to return humans to the surface of the Moon. Our world-class team includes experts in all aspects of spacecraft subsystems design, development, and test, on-orbit operations, and safety.

About the Position:

The JETS Space Environments team is seeking a Space Environments Engineer to join Intuitive Machines, a teammate company to provide multidisciplinary technical analysis/modeling and systems engineering support to NASA JSC across programs like Moon Base, Artemis, HLS, CLDP, and SR-1.

Responsibilities:

• Provide support to NASA programs in the definition of natural and induced space environments, including with multidisciplinary analysis and modeling, working in concert with NASA civil servants and designated contractors


• Develop and update semi-empirical and theoretical models of processes relevant to spacecraft natural and induced environments


• Analyze/model molecular and particulate contamination sources, including lunar dust, and transport from materials outgassing, vacuum venting, and rocket engine and thruster pluming processes onto spacecraft, elements, and payloads


• Analyze optical property impacts from molecular and particulate contamination, including lunar dust, and exposure to orbital and lunar surface environments (e.g., to ultraviolet radiation, ionizing radiation, and atomic oxygen)


• Analyze/model plasma effects, spacecraft charging, radiation transport and effects on hardware


• Assess compatibility of spacecraft hardware with natural and induced space environments


• Provide systems engineering support in space environments requirements and verification plan development as well as requirement and verification activities throughout the life of a program


• Conduct systems engineering trade studies to identify potential risks and mitigations, evaluate induced environmental hazards between vehicles, and participate in hazard/risk reviews


• Participate in programmatic milestone reviews


• Perform other duties as required

Requisition Qualifications:

• Requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in engineering and 5- 10 years of related experience. License and certification may be required.


• 3 or more years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.)


• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite


• Experience in scientific computer programming and software development for analytical and physics-based modeling and simulation


• Strong analytical and computational skills


• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary field


• Effective written and verbal communication skills

Requisition Preferences:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Engineering (Aerospace, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Nuclear), Physics or Chemistry


• 5 or more years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of technical education and experience (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.)[DI1.1][HI1.2]


• Experience with NASA programs and projects, for example, Gateway and Artemis


• Experience with external contamination/molecular deposition analysis codes and/or tools including CAD, meshing, and visualization software (e.g., Matlab, Python, Creo, NX, FEMAP, Tecplot, ParaView, LS Dyna, etc.)


• Experience with materials outgassing, molecular transport, thin film deposition, optical property degradation, molecular gas dynamics, and/or multi-phase flows


• Experience with hypergolic and Hall Effect thrusters' operation as well as associated plume characteristics


• Experience with NASA and industry standards relating to contamination control and experimental characterization of materials outgassing (e.g., ASTM E1559)


• Knowledge of natural and induced space environments and related materials effects, including thermal vacuum stability, radiation (ionizing and UV), plasma charging, atomic oxygen, thermal cycling)


• Knowledge of lunar dust characteristics and effects, including for optical property and impact damage assessments, and of the lunar surface environment


• Knowledge of GCR, solar wind/ plasma, CMEs/SEPs, and solar irradiance


• Experience with plasma charging and ionizing radiation analyses or related tools (NASCAP, SPIS, IRI, AE9/AP9, CREME96, SHIELDOSE, ESP/PHYCHIC, MCNP, HZTRAN, SPENVIS, etc.)


• Experience with the Linux operating system.


• Proof of U.S. Citizenship or US Permanent Residency may be a requirement for this position.

US EEO Statement:

• Intuitive Machines is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.