Mission Design Engineer (2-5 yrs

Position: Mission Design Engineer (2-5 yrs)

We’re going to the Moon. Think you’ve got what it takes? About the Role

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. About Advanced Space

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.

What You'll Actually Do Design mission architectures and optimize trajectories.

Apply mission design and trajectory optimization expertise across a variety of mission domains, including Earth‑orbiting, cislunar, interplanetary, high‑thrust, low‑thrust, formation‑flying, and proximity operations missions.

Solve complex astrodynamics challenges.

Perform mission design analyses including delta‑V budgeting, trajectory optimization, Monte Carlo/statistical‑delta‑V simulations, station keeping analysis, and formation‑keeping algorithm development.

Support missions from concept through operations.

Take ownership of mission phases and work alongside technical leads to define analysis approaches, break down complex problems, and deliver accurate technical solutions that support mission success.

Develop tools that enable future missions.

Build and improve astrodynamics software and flight operations tools using programming languages such as Python and Julia. Apply innovative approaches to expand Advanced Space's mission design capabilities.

Collaborate across engineering disciplines.

Partner with navigation, systems, GNC, flight software, and other engineering teams to define requirements, support verification efforts, and integrate mission design analyses across the spacecraft system.

Communicate technical solutions clearly.

Document and present design and analysis results for internal teams and customers. Translate complex technical concepts into clear recommendations and actionable insights.

Continue learning and push technical boundaries.

Stay current with aerospace research, publications, and emerging technologies to solve challenging problems and develop new approaches to mission design.

Who Thrives Here

• 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…