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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 Spacecraft Mechanical Design Engineer, you will be responsible for the design, detailing, and configuration control of mechanical systems and components used on spacecraft, satellites, and other space-related technologies.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design mechanical components and assemblies in Autodesk Inventor to meet program requirements
- Create fabrication and assembly drawings using GD&T, and process them through drawing review and release
- Maintain spacecraft CAD configuration, including assembly structure, part numbering, revision state, and stowed/deployed envelopes of deployable structures
- Track spacecraft mass properties against allocated budget and report growth and margin at design reviews
- Perform tolerance stack-up analysis using worst-on-worst, RSS, and statistical analysis methods
- Resolve mechanical interfaces and clearances across structures, mechanisms, thermal, optical, and avionics hardware
- Partner with machinists and suppliers on producibility, tolerance, and finish; support make-versus-buy decisions
- Design enclosures to mount circuit cards and electrical components, coordinating with Electrical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, and Structural Analysis teams
- Support hands-on build and integration of flight hardware, ground support equipment, and test hardware
- Maintain drafting templates, standard parts libraries, and modeling practices for consistency
- Write technical documentation supporting analysis, build, test, and integration of hardware
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, structural, or aerospace engineering, or related field
- Minimum 3 years of experience designing, drafting, and releasing flight hardware, ground support equipment, or test hardware in aerospace manufacturing or relevant industry
- Experience producing production-quality parametric models, fabrication drawings, and assembly drawings with GD&T per ASME Y14.5 in Autodesk Inventor or equivalent
- Experience working in managed CAD data environment with revision control, release states, and engineering change processing
- Experience maintaining spacecraft or vehicle mass properties records including mass, center of gravity, and inertia reporting against allocated budget
- Hands-on experience in shop, lab, or cleanroom environment supporting hardware build, integration, or environmental testing
- Creative problem-solving skills and capability to develop innovative solutions to advanced engineering challenges
- Willingness to follow company standards and procedures
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or eligible to obtain ITAR authorizations from U.S. Department of State
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's or PhD degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or related field
- Experience with deployable structures and their stowed/deployed configurations
- Experience designing sheet metal, machined, composite, or bonded assemblies
- Structural hand calculations or finite element analysis for part sizing
- Tolerance stack-up analysis using worst-on-worst, RSS, and statistical methods
- CAD automation using iLogic, Python, or equivalent
- Familiarity with space mission regulations and standards
- Ability to communicate effectively and work in multidisciplinary teams
