Spacecraft Mechanical Design Engineer

Power the future of Space at Star Catcher

Star Catcher is building the first energy grid in space to power the orbital economy.

Todays spacecraft must generate all of their own power which caps what they can do and how long they can operate. But what if they could plug into a grid the way buildings do on Earth Instead of cables and outlets Star Catcher is building the technology to wirelessly beam energy to spacecrafts existing solar panels when and where they need it.

Be an early member of a team building an entirely new energy infrastructure at scale to power the next frontier.

Star Catcher Industries Inc. located in Jacksonville Florida has an opportunity for a Spacecraft Mechanical Design Engineer to support the development of space-to-space power beaming spacecraft and the Star Catcher Network its orbital power role will be responsible for design detailing and configuration control of mechanical systems and components used on spacecraft satellites and other space-related technologies.

• 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 the spacecraft CAD configuration including assembly structure part numbering and revision state and keep the stowed and deployed envelopes of deployable structures current as the design changes.
• Track spacecraft mass properties against the allocated budget and report growth and margin at each design review.
• Perform tolerance stack-up analysis to ensure proper hardware fit and alignment utilizing worst-on-worst RSS and statistical analysis methods where appropriate.
• Resolve mechanical interfaces and clearances across structures mechanisms thermal optical and avionics hardware and drive fit issues to closure.
• Partner with machinists and suppliers on producibility tolerance and finish and support make-versus-buy and fabrication planning for owned parts.
• Design enclosures to mount circuit cards and other electrical components. Coordinate with the Electrical Engineering Thermal Engineering and Structural Analysis teams to ensure enclosure design protects sensitive electronics for launch and space environments.
• Support hands-on build and integration of flight hardware ground support equipment and test hardware. Disposition fit clearance and installation issues found at the bench.
• Maintain drafting templates standard parts libraries and modeling practice so that models and drawings released by the team stay consistent.
• Write technical documentation supporting the analysis build test and integration of hardware to meet program requirements. Document and present technical data providing justification for design choices.

• Bachelors degree in mechanical structural or aerospace engineering or a related field.
• Minimum three years of experience designing drafting and releasing flight hardware ground support equipment or test hardware in an aerospace manufacturing environment or other relevant industry experience.
• 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 a managed CAD data environment including revision control release states and engineering change processing.
• Experience maintaining a spacecraft or vehicle mass properties record including mass center of gravity and inertia reporting against an allocated budget.
• Hands-on experience in a shop lab or cleanroom environment supporting hardware build integration or environmental testing.
• Creative problem-solving skills with the capability to develop innovative solutions to advanced engineering challenges.
• Willingness to follow company standards and procedures.

• Masters or PhD degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or a related field.
• Experience with deployable structures and their stowed and deployed configurations.
• Experience designing sheet metal machined composite or bonded assemblies.
• Structural hand calculations or finite element analysis sufficient to size parts ahead of formal analysis.
• Tolerance stack-up analysis using worst-on-worst RSS and statistical analysis methods.
• CAD automation using iLogic Python or equivalent for templates parts libraries and drawing checks.
• Familiarity with regulations and standards relevant to space missions and operations.
• Ability to effectively communicate and work in a multidisciplinary team setting while prioritizing tasks multiple projects and personnel.

Help us deploy and scale space infrastructure that will drive our utilization of space forward! We offer a highly competitive benefits package including access to comprehensive medical dental and vision coverage 401(k) retirement plan life insurance and paid parental leave in addition to other benefits.

Star Catcher is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Star Catcher is governed on the basis of merit competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race color religion gender national origin/ethnicity veteran status disability status age sexual orientation gender identity marital status mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

All offers of employment at Star Catcher are contingent upon results of a thorough background check and your ability to provide proof of eligibility to work in the US.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen lawful permanent resident of the U.S. protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.