The Role

As a Mechanical Engineer - Deployable Radiators, you will be the responsible engineer for the large deployable radiators that reject heat from our on-orbit compute payload and integrate the spacecraft's liquid cooling loop. This is a structures-first, hands-on role: you will own the structural design of the radiator panels, the mechanisms that stow, restrain, and deploy them, and the thermal integration that turns them into a working radiator. You will own this hardware end to end, from concept and analysis through the ground testbeds used to prove it out, qualification, and on-orbit deployment.

These are large, load-bearing structures that must survive demanding launch and ascent environments while stowed and then deploy reliably into a stiff, flat radiating surface on orbit. You will work closely with thermal, structures, manufacturing, propulsion, power, avionics, and software teams to deliver an integrated solution. We're looking for a strong structures and manufacturing background paired with solid mechanism design skills-someone who can move quickly, iterate often, and take full ownership of hardware that directly determines whether our payload survives launch and stays cool in orbit.

Responsibilities

• Own the structural design of the deployable radiator panels from concept through flight, sizing them to survive stowed launch and ascent loads and to deploy into a radiating surface.
• Perform structural analysis across the full mission profile, including quasi-static and random vibration launch loads and deployed-state dynamics.
• Drive design-for-manufacturing of the panels and their assemblies, including joining and/or bonding methods, and work with suppliers to ensure high-quality, scalable production.
• Design the deployment mechanisms that stow, restrain, and deploy the radiators-hinges, latches, and release devices-and the interfaces that carry loads into the spacecraft.
• Analyze deployment kinematics, mechanism loads, restraint release, synchronization, and deployment reliability and margin, and design out jam and hang-up risks.
• Integrate the radiator panels with the liquid cooling loop and perform the thermal design of the radiator-heat rejection, fin efficiency, and thermal gradients-in partnership with the thermal team.
• Design, build, and operate ground testbeds and dev rigs to characterize panels and mechanisms, validate deployment, and de-risk the flight design ahead of qualification.
• Develop and execute deployment, structural static/modal, vibration, thermal-vacuum, and qualification/acceptance test programs to verify flight-worthiness.
• Author and maintain drawings, interface control documents, analysis reports, test procedures, and release/configuration records.
• Diagnose and resolve structural, mechanism, and thermal anomalies during integration and test, applying root-cause analysis and implementing corrective actions.
• Partner with thermal, structures, propulsion, power, avionics, and software teams to ensure the radiators integrate seamlessly within the overall spacecraft architecture.
• Embrace a fast-paced development environment, driving quick design cycles, hardware builds, and test campaigns to accelerate the program schedule.

Basic Qualifications

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
• 3+ years of experience designing and analyzing lightweight structures and mechanical hardware in aerospace or other high-performance environments
• Strong structural fundamentals: strength, stiffness, and buckling lightweight structures, and bonded and mechanically fastened joints
• Hands-on experience designing mechanisms such as hinges, latches, springs, and release devices or large structural assemblies
• Proficiency with FEA for static, modal, and dynamic analysis of structures
• Experience taking hardware from concept through build and test, with hands-on integration and test experience
• Proficiency with CAD (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, or similar)
• Experience working in fast-paced, hardware-focused development environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience designing deployable structures-radiators, solar array substrates, antennas, or booms-including stowed restraint, deployment mechanisms, and latching
• Experience designing for space environments (thermal, vibration, vacuum) and background in spacecraft structures, mechanisms, or thermal systems
• Experience with bonded and welded assemblies and sheet-metal or machined-frame fabrication
• Airframe or launch-vehicle primary-structure experience, including significant ascent loads
• Familiarity with radiator or thermal-control design and thermal-fluid coupling to cooling loops at the spacecraft system level
• Knowledge of aerospace standards (MIL-SPEC, NASA-STD, ECSS) and spaceflight hardware qualification and acceptance margins
• Hands-on experience with prototyping, machining, deployment test rigs, and gravity-offload or ambient deployment testing
• Startup or early-stage hardware experience; comfort operating with significant technical ambiguity

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $200,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks