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Star Catcher is building the first energy grid in space to power the orbital economy. The company is developing space-to-space power beaming spacecraft and the Star Catcher Network, an orbital power grid that will allow spacecraft to wirelessly receive energy instead of generating all their own power.
As a Senior Spacecraft Structures Engineer, you will serve as a subject matter expert (SME) and technical leader for all phases of spacecraft structures development. Your responsibilities include:
• Own the structural architecture of the spacecraft, including primary structure, load paths, and stowed/deployed configurations of deployable structures.
• Establish program structural design and verification criteria, including factors of safety, load case definition, and margin of safety reporting per NASA-STD-5001, and approve margins for flight.
• Direct finite element modeling and analysis across the structures team, reviewing models, load cases, and margin reports before release.
• Own structural-thermal-optical performance of precision optical assemblies under high thermal flux, negotiating line-of-sight and wavefront error allocations with optical and thermal teams.
• Lead vibration test campaigns from instrumentation planning and success criteria through anomaly disposition and model correlation closure.
• Define structural interfaces to the launch vehicle and separation system, owning the coupled loads analysis cycle with the launch provider through closure.
• Support systems engineering in writing detailed requirements for structures functionality and verification methods.
• Serve as the technical focal point for structures across mechanical design, opto-mechanical, thermal, electrical, and manufacturing disciplines.
• Create technical documentation for proposals, design reviews, and test reports demonstrating rigor and expertise.
• Mentor structures engineers and analysts, establishing standards for structural design, analysis processes, documentation, and review practices.
This is an early-stage opportunity to build critical infrastructure for the emerging space economy.
**Requirements:**
• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, structural, or aerospace engineering (or related field) with minimum 10 years of experience in spacecraft structural design and analysis.
• Demonstrated leadership of space systems development, including ownership of a structure from concept through qualification and flight.
• Experience performing and reviewing structural analysis in Ansys Mechanical or equivalent (static, modal, random vibration, shock load cases).
• Working knowledge of aerospace structural criteria: margin of safety reporting, bolted joint analysis, factors of safety per NASA-STD-5001, fracture control per NASA-STD-5019 or equivalent.
• Experience owning vibration test campaigns, including instrumentation plans, anomaly disposition, and model correlation to test data.
• Experience serving as structures interface to launch vehicle provider, including coupled loads analysis cycles and interface requirements documents.
• Creative problem-solving skills and capability to develop innovative solutions to advanced engineering challenges.
• U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status (ITAR compliance required).
**Preferred Qualifications:**
• Master's or PhD in mechanical or aerospace engineering (or related field).
• Analysis of deployable structures, hinges, latches, and stowed launch load paths.
• Experience with composite, bonded, or lightweight panel construction.
• Proficiency with CAD (Autodesk Inventor or equivalent) and scripting (Python or APDL) to automate model builds and margin reporting.
• Familiarity with regulations and standards relevant to space missions and operations.
• Ability to effectively communicate and work in multidisciplinary team settings while prioritizing multiple projects and personnel.
• Ability to identify risks to spacecraft structural components and assist in developing mitigation efforts, drafting requirement changes, or documenting waiver requests.
