Mission Design Engineer (2-5 yrs

Mission Design Engineer (2-5 Yrs)

At Advanced Space, we're enabling humanity's return to the Moon and building the technologies that will take us to Mars and beyond. We're looking for a Mission Design Engineer with 2-5 years of experience to apply astrodynamics expertise and creative problem-solving to some of the most ambitious missions in the space industry.

This is a hands-on technical role supporting mission design and trajectory analysis across Earth-orbiting, cislunar, and interplanetary missions. You'll contribute throughout the full mission lifecycle—from mission architecture and trajectory optimization to concept of operations development, contingency planning, and flight operations support.

We're looking for someone who thrives in technically challenging environments, enjoys solving complex astrodynamics problems, and is excited to work alongside a team that's delivering real missions—not just concepts.

This position is open to U.S. Persons (U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents) only. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Advanced Space exists to enable the sustainable exploration, development, and settlement of space through innovative software, mission services, and technology solutions. As the owner and operator of NASA's CAPSTONE™ mission and the Prime Contractor for AFRL's Oracle mission, we're helping shape the future of cislunar exploration while supporting commercial, civil, and national security customers.

Our team combines deep technical expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset. We move quickly, collaborate across disciplines, and empower every engineer to make meaningful contributions. If you're passionate about solving challenging problems and seeing your work fly in space, you'll fit right in.

Design mission architectures and optimize trajectories.

Solve complex astrodynamics challenges.

Support missions from concept through operations.

Develop tools that enable future missions.

Collaborate across engineering disciplines.

Communicate technical solutions clearly.

Continue learning and push technical boundaries.

You have a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.

You have 2–5 years of professional experience in mission design, astrodynamics, trajectory design, or a closely related discipline.

You have experience applying mission design and trajectory optimization concepts to real-world aerospace problems.

You have experience with astrodynamics software such as MONTE, Copernicus, GMAT, STK, Free Flyer, or similar tools.

You can write Python, Matlab, Julia, or similar scripts to solve mission design and analysis problems and contribute to complex codebases.

You enjoy solving difficult technical problems and are comfortable working through ambiguous challenges.

You communicate technical concepts clearly and can collaborate effectively across engineering disciplines.

You take ownership of your work and proactively solve problems when you see them.

Bonus Points if You Have Experience With

Supporting spacecraft operations procedures and maneuver design activities during flight operations.

Understanding spacecraft navigation concepts and how navigation interacts with mission design analyses.

Supporting systems integration and verification analyses.

Familiarity with spacecraft subsystems and how they interface with trajectory design.

Developing generalized astrodynamics tools using Python and/or Julia.

Experience supporting system-level design reviews such as SRR, PDR, or CDR.

Experience with formation flying, station keeping, or proximity operations.

Using agentic AI tools to support code development, documentation, and testing while maintaining technical accuracy.

Success is Measured By

Delivering accurate mission design analyses that support successful mission execution.

Developing innovative trajectory solutions for challenging aerospace missions.

Building and improving mission design tools and processes.

Effectively collaborating across engineering teams to integrate mission design solutions.

Clearly communicating technical findings and recommendations to internal teams and customers.

Contributing to the continued growth of Advanced Space's mission design capabilities.

Why…