RPO Operations 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.

The RPO Analysis and Integration Department (RAID) is EED's premier organization for mission-level Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO), bringing together the expertise necessary to analyze, design, and develop systems across the full lifecycle of RPO missions. We deliver impactful modeling, simulation, and analysis to a variety of military and civil customers, enabling the key missions that will service and protect critical space infrastructure.

We are looking for an Operations Engineer to join the Tactics and Operations Section of the RAID team. The selected candidate will provideexpertisefor a wide range of customer flight-mechanics needs, but will specialize in on-orbit, operational practices, processes, and procedures to support analysis, research, development, and operations requests. The work will require candidates to provide deep technical solutions while also collaborating with engineering partners tofacilitateintegrated solutions for our customers’ hardest problems.

Customers will include defense, intelligence, civil, and commercial organizations.

This is a full-time position based in Colorado Springs, CO or Chantilly, VA, offering an in-person work model that combines 4 or more regular onsite workdays per week and remote flexibility as business needs allow.

Providing space operations support and expertise for a variety of US Space Force, US Space Command, and Intelligence Community missions. Explore Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) and incorporate complex operational constraints into the design and maturation of space systems that support RPO objectives. Support evaluation of contested space mission applications to assess system vulnerabilities and contribute to the development of Concepts of Operations (CONOPS).

Build new tools to cultivate and maintain a healthy and modern internal tool base that supports customer deliverables. Combine AI/ML/RL techniques with flight mechanics modeling to assess complex analysis and decision-making trade spaces. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to translate customer mission requirements into technical solutions and analysis products. Occasional travel to support customer efforts.

• BS degree from an accredited college/university program in engineering, mathematics, physics, computer science, or related field (pursuing or conferred within last 12 months)
• 5+ years of professional, technical work experience
• Experience with spacecraft operations, on-orbit testing, and anomaly resolution
• Experience in one or more of the following subjects: space mission analysis and design, state estimation, pose estimation,…