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Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company developing scalable technology platforms for critical infrastructure and advanced flight systems. The company is backed by leading venture and strategic investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Giant Step Capital, United Airlines Ventures, and Voyager Ventures.
You will own the design, integration, and maturation of critical vehicle fluid systems end-to-end, from early concept through detailed design, qualification, and flight test. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who thrives in fast-paced development environments, is comfortable making informed tradeoffs, and takes pride in building robust, maintainable, and performant systems across the full flight envelope.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own the full lifecycle of one or more vehicle fluid systems such as fuel, hydraulics, pneumatics, lubrication, or thermal management
- Perform trade studies and first-order analyses (pressure drop, flow sizing, transient behavior, failure modes) to inform design and system architecture decisions
- Design and integrate components including pumps, valves, accumulators, heat exchangers, plumbing, and sensors, ensuring functionality and manufacturability
- Collaborate closely with propulsion, structures, avionics, controls, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless system integration
- Work with suppliers to specify, select, and qualify off-the-shelf or custom components
- Assist in developing test plans and participate in validation and verification activities, including component and system-level testing
- Provide hands-on support during prototyping, vehicle builds, ground testing, and flight test campaigns
- Lead technical reviews, generate clear documentation, and contribute to safety and hazard analyses
Your work will directly enable propulsion, actuation, thermal management, and vehicle operability at extreme conditions.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
- 2–5+ years of experience designing, integrating, or testing fluid or mechanical systems (internships and student projects count)
- Strong understanding of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and mechanical system fundamentals
- Experience with system-level thinking: requirements flow-down, interfaces, failure modes, and operational considerations
- Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (NX, CATIA V5, SolidWorks, or similar) for routing, packaging, and component design
- Hands-on experience with hardware—plumbing, assembly, instrumentation, or testing
- Clear communicator who works well across disciplines and can translate analysis into practical design decisions
- Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, evolving development environment
- Willingness to travel to test sites and support field operations as needed
