The Aerospace Corporation

Space Domain Awareness and Mission Analyst

The Aerospace Corporation$117K — $226K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree with 8+ years of relevant experience in national security space, space operations, or related fields.
  • Master's degree or PhD in mathematics, engineering, physics, or computer science.
  • Experience in Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and missile defense.
  • Knowledge of electronic warfare and directed energy effects.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

  • Analyze sensor systems for space surveillance applications.
  • Evaluate sensor performance and operational coverage.
  • Conduct comprehensive risk assessments on satellite operations.
  • Lead analytical teams and support decision-making for government stakeholders.
  • Model complex space scenarios using advanced simulation tools.

Benefits

  • 100% on-site work in Colorado Springs, CO.
  • Opportunities for career development and mentorship.
  • Collaborative environment with government and military partners.
  • Engagement in mission-critical national security projects.
Full Job Description

Join the Enterprise Effects Division (EED) at The Aerospace Corporation, where we tackle some of the nation's most critical space challenges. Our division integrates strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise, working on everything from concept design to performance assessment of space and space-enabled systems.

We'reseeking exceptional space professionals to support mission-critical analyses, operational architecture development, and strategic decision support across space domain awareness, space control, electronic warfare, directed energy effects, advanced sensors,orbit determination, position, navigation and timing,and space protectionmission areas. This role combines technical analytical excellence with operational mission analyses to support the future of national security space operations.

As a Space Domain Awareness & Mission Analyst, you'll provide technical leadership and analytical support across a wide range of space security challenges operating at the intersection of operators, engineers, intelligence professionals, acquisition stakeholders, and senior government leaders. You'll provide technical leadership and analytical support, translating complex operational problems into actionable recommendations and decision-quality products that directly impact national security. 

Work Model: 100% on-site in Colorado Springs, CO 

 

What You'll Do:

Space Domain Awareness & Threat Assessment 

  • Analyze sensor systems – Evaluate electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR), radar, and passive RF sensor concepts and architectures for space surveillance applications 

  • Assess terrestrial and space-based sensor architectures supporting space domain awareness missions 

  • Evaluate sensor performance, operational coverage, detection capabilities, and tracking accuracy 

  • Analyze space surveillance network sensor operations and architecture integration 

  • Support assessments of advanced sensor concepts for enhanced space domain awareness 

  • Assess threats and build resilience – Conduct comprehensive risk assessments covering RF interference, optical threats, and counterspace capabilities affecting satellite operations 

  • Analyze kinetic threats, debris environments, and collision risks to space assets 

  • Evaluate counterspace threat capabilities and their operational impacts on satellite systems

  • Support space protection mission analysis and operational resilience assessments

  • Conduct threat-informed analysis examining contested space environments and emerging threat vectors

Modeling, Simulation & Analysis

  • Model and simulate – Use industry-leading tools and custom frameworks to analyze complex space scenarios, including space domain awareness coverage, tracking performance, and threat engagement timelines

  • Develop algorithms and analytical methods to solve emerging space domain challenges

  • Create computer tools and simulations to support space surveillance, space control, and space protection missions

  • Collaborate with modeling and simulation teams to ensure operationally relevant outputs

  • Support mission-thread analysis and operational experimentation for future space capabilities

Electronic Warfare & Directed Energy Effects

  • Analyze electronic warfare impacts on space systems and ground-based infrastructure

  • Evaluate directed energy effects on satellite operations and space mission capabilities

  • Model RF interference scenarios and assess mitigation strategies

  • Support passive RF collection modeling and analysis for space domain awareness applications

Leadership & Mission Integration

  • Lead and mentor – Support technical leads on modeling and simulation efforts while guiding early-career engineers

  • Drive independent studies – Lead analytical teams and provide expert assessments to government stakeholders

  • Translate complex technical analysis into actionable recommendations for senior decision-makers

  • Support strategic wargames, tabletop exercises, and operational planning activities

  • Serve as technical expert bridging space domain awareness operations with analytical capabilities

 

What You Need to be Successful: Engineering Specialist

  • Bachelor's degree with 8+ years of relevant experience in national security space, space operations, missile warning/defense, command and control, or related mission areas.

  • Master's degree or PhD in mathematics, engineering, physics, computer science, or related field 

In additional to above for Senior Engineering Specialist:

  • Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of progressively responsible experience in space domain awareness, space control, operational analysis, mission architecture, or force design 

Technical & Mission Skills 

  • Experience in Space Domain Awareness (SDA), space control, space surveillance sensors, missile warning, missile defense, or command-and-control mission areas 

  • Knowledge of electronic warfare and/or directed energy effects 

  • Background in modeling, simulation, and analysis 

  • Proficiency in at least one programming language: Python, MATLAB, C++, Java, C, or FORTRAN 

  • Experience developing computer tools, simulations, or interpreting technical analysis outputs 

  • Ability to assess operational implications of technical analysis, sensor architecture assessments, and threat-informed analysis 

Professional Skills 

  • Strong written and oral communication skills, including ability to brief senior government, military, and executive stakeholders 

  • Demonstrated ability to translate complex operational problems into clear recommendations and decision products 

  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in fast-paced, classified, multi-organizational environments

  • Experience working with operators, engineers, intelligence professionals, and acquisition organizations

  • U.S. citizenshiprequired (for security clearance eligibility)

  • Current or recent eligibility for TS/SCI access and willingness to support SAP/SAR, polygraph, or other security requirements as needed

How to Stand Out:

  • Active TS/SCI clearance 

  • 20+ years of operational and strategic experience across space operations, missile warning/defense, command and control, or future force design 

Operational Background 

  • Operational experience as orbit analyst, space control operator, or space operations center personnel 

  • Air Force Weapons School graduate 

  • Space surveillance network sensor operations background  Strategic & Architecture Experience 

  • Experience supporting future force design, operational architecture, or capability integration for U.S. Space Force, Space Warfighting Analysis Center, Space Systems Command, U.S. Space Command, Missile Defense Agency, or similar organizations 

  • Experience supporting national-level space wargames, operational experimentation, or contested space operations analysis 

  • Experience advising senior leaders, general officer-level staff, combatant commands, or national security space organizations 

  • Experience supporting multinational, joint, combatant command, or interagency planning activities 

Technical Specializations 

  • Experience with EO/IR sensors, particularly for space surveillance applications 

  • Experience assessing terrestrial and space-based sensor architectures for operational coverage and mission effectiveness

  • Agile software development experience with object-oriented languages

  • Experience working with modeling, simulation, sensor, EW/DE, algorithm, or systems engineering teams

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll 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)

$117,300.00 - $226,900.00

Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership

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

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at The Aerospace Corporation

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Space Domain Awareness and Mission Analyst jobs: