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Cowboy Space Corp., founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (Robinhood co-founder) and backed by leading investors, is building satellite infrastructure for the orbital economy. The company operates Low Earth Orbit satellites that collect sunlight and enable on-orbit compute, space-to-earth and space-to-space energy transmission via infrared lasers, and secure optical data delivery.
As Structural Analyst, you will own the complete lifecycle of structural prediction and design verification for the engineering team. This encompasses load case derivation, static strength and stability analysis, fatigue and durability assessment, fracture and damage-tolerance analysis, and test data correlation. You are accountable for the loads, models, margins, and data backing every structural decision.
Key responsibilities include: deriving and maintaining structural load sets (quasi-static, dynamic, pressure, thermal, and coupled loads across ground, ascent, and on-orbit environments); performing static strength, stability, buckling, and joint analysis; conducting fatigue, spectrum, and life prediction analysis; performing fracture mechanics and crack-growth analysis; developing analysis tools, scripts, templates, and checklists for team consistency; selecting and maintaining material allowables; defining test objectives and supporting proof, static, modal, vibration, and life testing; performing structural test data reduction and model correlation; and supporting anomaly investigation and root-cause analysis.
You will work closely with the head of analysis, fluids, propulsion, GNC teams, and test operations. Your analyses directly enable test and flight confidence. The role requires moving quickly, iterating often, and taking full ownership of structural predictions that fly on hardware.
Required: Bachelor's in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering; 5+ years structural analysis experience on flight vehicles, propulsion systems, or high-performance hardware; strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, stability, materials behavior, plasticity, fatigue, and fracture mechanics; proficiency with commercial FEA tools (linear and nonlinear); ability to substantiate results with hand calculations; proficiency in Python or MATLAB for automation and tool development; U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.
Preferred: 10+ years experience; direct launch vehicle, spacecraft, or rocket engine experience; formal fracture control program experience (NASA-STD-5019, NASGRO, AFGROW); familiarity with NASA structural standards (STD-5001, STD-5002); structural dynamics expertise; composite and bonded structure analysis; pressure vessel analysis (ASME BPVC, AIAA standards); nonlinear FEA and coupled analysis experience.
