Flight Dynamics Engineer

About this role

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.

Job Description

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 Emerging Missions Flight Dynamics Department (EMFDD) provides flight mechanics expertise for the cislunar domain, multi-objective “traveling salesman” trajectory sequence generation, facility location optimization, and trans-atmospheric flight design for missiles, hyperglide vehicles, and reentry vehicles. Relevant skills include orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, trajectory design and optimization, and atmospheric flight modeling and simulation. The selected candidate will provide expertise for a wide range of customer flight mechanics needs, supporting analysis, 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 is a full-time position based in El Segundo, CA, Albuquerque, NM, Chantilly, VA or Huntsville, AL, offering an in-person work model that combines 4 or more regular onsite workdays per week and remote flexibility as business needs allow.  

What You’ll be Doing:    Primary Support   • Hypersonics, missiles, interceptors, and reentry vehicle trajectory design and optimization 

• Cislunar and exploration-class orbital mechanics analysis and trajectory optimization   

• Time-dependent Traveling Salesman Problems and Facility Location Problem analysis 

• Astrodynamics and orbital mechanics analysis including orbit propagation and maneuver design and optimization for orbit transfer, station keeping, graveyard, disposal, and reentry events   

• Analysis of vehicles with chemical and/or electric propulsion   

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

• Developing Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), exploring Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), and incorporating operational constraints into the design and maturation of space and near-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   

   Additional inter-department partnership collaborations opportunities:   • Maneuver and orbit design, selection, and optimization for missions that support Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) objectives with complex operational constraints  

• Trajectory design and optimization for launch vehicles and spacecraft for missions operating in LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO, and other earth-centric regimes 

What You Need to be Successful   Minimum Requirements for Member of Technical Staff – Flight Mechanics:   • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited program in Engineering, Science, Mathematics, or related technical discipline. 

• At least two years of relevant professional, technical work experience. 

• Experience in one or more of the following subjects: space mission analysis and design, advanced astrodynamics, algorithm design, software development, or mathematical modeling, multi-objective optimization, trajectory simulation and performance optimization of spacecraft, missiles, and reentry vehicles 

• Proficiency with one or more of the following programming languages/tools: C, C++, Python, Fortran, MATLAB. 

• Effective written and verbal communication skills. 

• Willing to travel domestically to customer and contractor facilities (approx. 10%) 

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the US government. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance. 

In addition to the above, the minimum requirements for Senior Member of Technical Staff – Flight Mechanics position include:   • Five or more years of experience of relevant technical work 

• Demonstrated technical excellence in the relevant job capabilities and functions 

• The ability to operate independently, often in the presence of ambiguity, and still deliver high quality, relevant end products to a range of customers   

How You Can Stand Out    It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:   • Graduate degree and/or research or professional experience in engineering, mathematics, physics, computer science, or related field. 

• Experience using or building analysis software to combine numerical meth

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