Space Solar Test Engineer — Shape Power for Moon & Mars

starpath.space; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/dental/vision coverage

Paid time off

Professional growth opportunities

Ownership of high-impact work

Collaborative, mission-driven culture

Job summary

Starpath Robotics in Hawthorne, CA, is seeking a Test Engineer – Space Solar to plan, build, and execute tests that prove flight-ready solar hardware, from cell-level characterization to panel environmental testing.

You will stand up test stands, write procedures, run campaigns, and analyze data to guide hardware decisions, collaborating with design and manufacturing to diagnose issues and improve testability for space-grade reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, materials, physics, or related discipline.
• 1+ years of hardware test engineering experience (internship and academic research applicable).
• Hands-on experience with test instrumentation and data acquisition.

Responsibilities

• Execute test programs for space solar hardware — from cell-level electrical characterization through panel and array environmental testing
• Build and operate test stands, fixtures, and data acquisition systems for electrical, thermal, mechanical, and environmental testing
• Run environmental tests — thermal vacuum (TVAC), thermal cycling, vibration, shock, and humidity — including test setup, execution, and post-test data review
• Perform electrical characterization of solar hardware — LIV/flash testing, electroluminescence imaging, dark IV, and degradation analysis
• Investigate test failures and anomalies; partner with design and manufacturing engineering to close issues
• Write and execute test procedures and contribute to qualification reports
• Influence hardware design from a testability perspective — flag instrumentation access, alignment features, and design choices that make hardware easier to qualify
• Push back on unnecessary complexity — simplify test setups, eliminate redundant verification, and cut overhead wherever it doesn't add value

Skills

Test instrumentation

Data acquisition

LabVIEW

Python

MATLAB

Education

Bachelor's or advanced degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, materials, physics, or related field

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Spectrolab solar simulators

LabVIEW

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Starpath Robotics in Hawthorne, CA, is seeking a Test Engineer – Space Solar to plan, build, and execute tests that prove flight-ready solar hardware, from cell-level characterization to panel environmental testing.

You will stand up test stands, write procedures, run campaigns, and analyze data to guide hardware decisions, collaborating with design and manufacturing to diagnose issues and improve testability for space-grade reliability.