Trajectory Engineer

X-Bow Systems; Athens (AL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

X-Bow Systems in Huntsville, AL is seeking a Trajectory Engineer to develop and refine trajectories for characterizing vehicle performance. You will analyze flight test data, perform trajectory reconstruction, and support GNC development and vehicle assessments using industry tools such as TAOS, POST2/POST3D, MATLAB, and Python.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years of related industry or academic experience with a strong physics background, missile kinematics, statistics, and computational methods,

Qualifications

• 5+ years related industry experience.
• Trajectory Analysis for launch vehicles including dispersions and fault analysis.
• Trajectory simulations with 3DoF/6DoF using TAOS and POST2/POST3D.
• Weights and sizing for launch vehicle concepts and designs.
• Multidisciplinary systems analysis for launch vehicle performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and analyze 3DoF/6DoF trajectories for rail launch and TVC guided systems.
• Support vehicle design, requirement compliance, and performance assessments.
• Analyze flight test data and perform trajectory reconstruction using MATLAB/Python.
• Provide documentation of solutions and communicate results to stakeholders.

Skills

Trajectory Analysis

Trajectory Simulations

Weights & Sizing

Systems Analysis

Programming

Communication

Testing

Industry Experience (5 years+)

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Job: Trajectory Engineer

Location: Huntsville, AL

About the Role

In this role you will support programs by developing and refining trajectories used for characterizing vehicle performance.

You will utilize your knowledge, skills, and experience with trajectories and engineering to support vehicle design, requirement compliance, Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) development, vehicle performance assessments, and flight test analysis. Your flight test support will include analyzing vehicle onboard instrumentation data and generating trajectory reconstruction.

You will generate and analyze vehicle 6-DoF and 3-DoF trajectory data using industry standard (TAOS, POST2/POST3D) and in-house developed (MATLAB, Python) tools.

You willknowyou aresuccessful in this role when you'veleveragedyour technical expertise to characterize and document solutions quickly and accurately.

You will join a small team of experts collectively supporting these programs and directly interact with the engineers and subject matter experts who will provide the inputs to your analysis.

To thrive in this role,you willhave at least 5 years ofdirectly relatedindustryor academic experience. This role will require a fundamental understanding of physics, missile characteristics and kinematics, statistical analysis, and computational methods.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• 5 years related industry experience.
• Trajectory Analysis: Develop and analyze tactical, ballistic, suborbital and orbital launch vehicle trajectories for rail launch and TVC guided systems. Dispersions and fault analysis capability/understanding required.
• Trajectory Simulations: 3DoF and 6DoF analysis with TAOS and/or POST2/POST3D
• Weights & Sizing: Develop and analyze launch vehicle sizing and mass properties estimates to support both conceptual and detailed design
• Systems Analysis: Multidisciplinary skillset as applied to launch vehicle performance & operations, in-space systems, propulsion, aerodynamics, technology assessments, value stream mapping, etc.
• Programming: Matlab and Python
• Communication: Effective communication across range of stakeholders.
• Testing: Experience with simulation, software testing, HWIL, sensor-based trajectory reconstruction etc.