The Aerospace Corporation

Flight Dynamics Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation$95K — $165K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics, applied mathematics, or related disciplines required.
  • Minimum two years of experience in flight mechanics, astrodynamics, and trajectory optimization or similar fields.
  • Proficient in programming languages including C, C++, Fortran, Python, Linux, and MATLAB.
  • US citizenship required to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
  • Five or more years of relevant experience or a PhD is required for the Senior Member position.

Responsibilities

  • Design and optimize trajectories for launch and space vehicles in various earth-centric regimes.
  • Conduct astrodynamics analysis, including orbit propagation and maneuver design.
  • Analyze vehicles using chemical and electric propulsion systems.
  • Evaluate mission applications to assess threat performance and system resiliency.
  • Define evolving mission areas and operational strategies for space dynamics.
  • Provide operational support for launches and spacecraft deployment, including anomaly resolution.
  • Integrate AI/ML techniques with flight mechanics for enhanced analysis and decision-making.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work model with an expectation of onsite work.
  • Opportunities for professional growth and development.
  • Collaborative environment with inter-departmental projects.
  • Support for further education and advanced certifications.
Full Job Description

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 aMember of the Technical Staff/Senior Member of the Technical Staffto 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 customers92 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.

WhatYou92llBe 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 6 Flight Mechanics position:

  • Bachelor92s 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 andmaintainaUS 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, theminimumrequirements for the Senior Member of the Technical Staff 6 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

Itisimpressive 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 you92ll 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
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About The Aerospace Corporation

The Aerospace Corporation is a nonprofit corporation that operates a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) headquartered in El Segundo, California. The corporation provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions to military, civil, and commercial customers. Aerospace also designs and develops spacecraft, sensors, and other systems in support of national security, civil, and commercial customers. The corporation has more than 4,000 employees and operates a number of laboratories and test facilities across the United States.
Learn more about The Aerospace Corporation
Size
4,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1960

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