Propulsion Test Engineer Mojave

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next‑generation space stations to ensure a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware‑rich and low‑cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi‑module Haven Station.

Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven‑1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. Our team is all‑in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time.

If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.

Reporting to the Propulsion Test Manager, this full‑time exempt position is located in Mojave.

• Perform thruster development, acceptance and qualification hot‑fire testing.
• Lead hazardous operations, including work with high‑pressure fluids.
• Write test procedures for hazardous operations.
• Prepare and lead Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs).
• Work side by side with test stand technicians during test article install and inspection.
• Maintain and design modifications to test stand fluids and electrical systems to meet current and expanding test requirements.
• Collaborate with Long Beach‑based responsible engineers to meet test requirements, design test stand modifications, and debug test stand problems rapidly.

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of experience in the operation, design, and development of chemical propulsion and/or fluid systems, or hardware testing.

• Propulsion experience in a collegiate rocket program.
• Experience with NX and Teamcenter.
• Experience with Epsilon
  3.
• Experience with JIRA / Confluence.
• Experience with controls & data acquisition systems, such as Beckhoff/TwinCAT or National Instruments/LabVIEW.
• Experience building and testing high‑pressure fluid systems.
• Tube fitting & bending, familiarity with common industry fitting systems.
• Read and interpret plumbing and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work in multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Ability and willingness to thrive in a fast‑paced, rapidly changing work environment.

• Willingness to work overtime or weekends to support critical mission milestones.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.
• Ability to work in extreme weather conditions outdoors in Mojave, CA.

California $86,000 – $195,000 USD.

Base salary will vary depending on job‑related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full‑time employees also receive company equity, and access to a full suite of benefits and perks, including medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents; generous paid time off (up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days for non‑exempt staff with the ability to cash out unused vacation annually);

paid parental leave; short and long‑term disability insurance; life insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan;
Class Pass credits; personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health; and other discounts and perks. We also offer exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee, an onsite barista, cold…