Flight Dynamics Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation's space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space- delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you'll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators.

Join us and take your place in space.

The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace's strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The division leverages a 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 core component of EED, the Earth Orbit Flight Dynamics Department (EOFDD) provides flight mechanics expertise for launch vehicles and space vehicles. Relevant skills include orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, trajectory design and optimization, and atmospheric flight modeling and simulation. We are looking for a Senior Member of the Technical Staff/Engineering Specialist to join the EOFDD team. The selected candidate will provide expertise for 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 to facilitate integrated solutions for our customers' hardest problems. Customers will include defense, intelligence, and civil and commercial organizations.

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 candidate works at least 4 days a week onsite, as the business needs allow.

What You'll Be Doing

Primary Support

* Trajectory design and optimization for launch vehicles and spacecraft for missions operating in 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, station keeping, graveyard, disposal, and reentry events

* Evaluating contested missions applications for space systems to understand threat performance, assess vulnerabilities, and improve system resiliency

* Develop space war fighting tactics aligned to the Chief of Space Operations (CSO) priorities by providing technical, operational, and risk assessments

* Understand customer requirements, models, and algorithms to develop integrated architectures and recommend technical and operational needs for Ops Centers' processes

* 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) objectives with 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

* Utilizing optimal control, 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

* Performing research and development and building new flight dynamics tools to cultivate and maintain a healthy and modern internal tool base

* Leveraging external tools like ASSET, GPOPS-II, SNOPT, POST, OTIS, Copernicus, GMAT, EMTG, etc. where appropriate to augment internally developed capabilities

* Communicating effectively with customers and management through timely reporting of technical issues, analysis reports, and recommendations

Additional inter-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

Minimum Requirements for the Senior Member of the Technical Staff - Flight Mechanics position:

* Bachelor's degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines

* Five or more years of experience in flight mechanics, astrodynamics, maneuver optimization, trajectory optimization, launch vehicle trajectory design, hypersonic vehicle modeling, or general…