Flight Dynamics Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation • Full-time • Chantilly, VA, US • $110.40k - $193.50k / year • 11h ago

The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace’s strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The divisionleveragesa 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 corecomponentof EED, the Earth Orbit Flight Dynamics Department (EOFDD) providesflight mechanicsexpertisefor launch vehiclesand space vehicles.Relevant skillsinclude orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, trajectory design and optimization, and atmospheric flight modeling and simulation.We are looking for aSenior Member of the Technical Staff/Engineering Specialistto join the EOFDD team.The selected candidate willprovideexpertisefor a wide range of customer flight mechanics needs,supporting both analysis and research and development requests. The work will require candidates to provide deep technical solutions while also collaborating with engineering partners tofacilitateintegrated solutions for our customershardest problems. Customers will includedefense, intelligence, and civil and commercialorganizations.

Work Model

This position will be a hybrid work model based in El Segundo, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, Chantilly, VA, or Albuquerque, NM, with the expectation that the selected candidateworksat least4days a week onsite, as the business needs allow.

WhatYoullBe Doing

Primary Support

Trajectory design and optimization for launch vehicles and spacecraft for missionsoperatingin LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO, and other earth-centric regimes

Astrodynamics and orbital mechanics analysis including orbit propagation and maneuver designand optimization for orbit transfer,stationkeeping, graveyard, disposal, and reentry events

Evaluating contestedmissionsapplications for space systems to understand threat performance, assess vulnerabilities, and improve system resiliency

Develop space warfighting tactics aligned to the Chief of Space Operations (CSO) priorities by providing technical, operational, and risk assessments

Understand customerrequirements, models, and algorithms to develop integratedarchitectures and recommend technical and operational needs for Ops Centersprocesses

Exploring and defining the evolving Dynamic Space Operations (DSO) mission area

Maneuver and orbit design,selection, and optimization for missions that support Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO)objectiveswith complex operational constraints

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

Providing operational support for nominal launch and spacecraft deployment and transfer sequences, anomaly resolution, and on-call emerging events

Utilizingoptimalcontrol, 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 andmaintaina healthy and modern internal tool base

Leveraging external tools like ASSET, GPOPS-II, SNOPT, POST, OTIS, Copernicus, GMAT, EMTG, etc. whereappropriate toaugment internally developed capabilities

Communicating effectively with customers and management throughtimelyreporting of technical issues, analysis reports, and recommendations

Additionalinter-department partnership collaborations opportunities:

Cislunar and exploration-class orbital mechanics analysis and trajectory optimization

Hypersonics, missiles, interceptors, and reentry vehicle trajectory design and optimization

Time-dependent Traveling Salesman Problems and Facility Location Problem analysis

Integrated, multi-disciplinary RPO system simulations

What You Need to be Successful

MinimumRequirements for theSeniorMember of the Technical Staff 6 Flight Mechanics position:

Bachelors degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines

Five or moreyearsof experienceinflight mechanics,astrodynamics,maneuver optimization,trajectory optimization, launch vehicle trajectory design,hypersonic vehicle modeling, orgeneraltrajectory modeling and simulation

Experience in space-relevantTTPsdevelopment, operational planning, or battle management

Proficiencyin one or more of the following programming languagesand environments: C, C++, Fortran, Python,Linux, Java, and/or MATLAB

The ability tooperateindependently, often in the presence of ambiguity, and still deliver high-quality,innovative, and specializedend products to a range of customers

Willing to traveldomesticallyapprox.10%

The ability to obtain andmaintainaUS security clearance isrequired. U.S citizenship isrequiredto obtain a security clearance.

The ability to obtain andmaintaina TS clearance (SSBI) with SCI access is strongly preferred (applicant will besubmittedfor this clearance upon hiring if they do not currentlypossessit)

In addition to the above, theminimumrequirements for theEngineering Specialist 6 Flight Mechanics positioninclude:

Eightor moreyears of experience of relevant technical workor PhD

Demonstrated technical excellence in the relevantjobcapabilitiesand functions

The ability tooperateindependently, 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 youhaveone or more of these:

Advanced degree inaeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines is strongly desired

Graduatelevelcourse work,researchand/or experience in one or more of the following areas:orbitalmechanics,astrodynamics, ascent trajectory modeling, hypersonic flight simulation,optimalcontrol, flight mechanics,and/ortrajectory modeling and simulation

Familiarity with National Security Space Enterprise operational communities and experience with translating warfighter needs into analysis frameworks.
Experienceusing orbuilding analysis software to combine numerical methods, orbital or flight mechanics, and optimization approaches for launch vehicles,missiles, interceptors,spacecraft, or reentry vehicles(hypersonics)

Experience with nonlinear programming (non-linear programming), direct methods, gradient-based optimization, parameter optimization, genetic algorithms, evolutionary algorithms, heuristic optimization methods, indirect methods, and/or calculus of variations