Spacecraft Mechanisms 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 Mechanisims Engineer to support the development of space-to-space power beaming spacecraft and the Star Catcher Network its orbital power grid. This role will be responsible for design analysis and qualification of deployment release and pointing mechanisms used on spacecraft satellites and other space-related technologies.

• Design deployment mechanisms including hinges booms dampers and latches from concept through flight drawings utilizing Autodesk Inventor.
• Develop hold-down and release mechanisms including release device selection preload sizing and separation shock characterization.
• Design pointing gimbals and define their actuation range accuracy and resolution requirements.
• Perform torque and force margin analysis across worst-case friction thermal and end-of-life conditions.
• Analyze deployment kinematics and multibody dynamics to verify sequencing rates latch-up and induced loads on the spacecraft.
• Select bearings lubricants and materials for vacuum compatibility and specify their handling cleanliness and outgassing controls.
• Plan and execute mechanism development qualification and life test campaigns in ambient and thermal vacuum conditions.
• Create test fixtures and gravity offload setups for deployment testing.
• Support fault detection isolation and recovery (FDIR) analysis and implementation of mechanism components.
• Generate and release engineering drawings of parts and assemblies following drafting standards and GD&T. Create and release engineering change orders to document design changes.
• Serve as liaison with fabrication shops in support of technical matters for procurement efforts.
• 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.
• Partner with mechanical design structures opto-mechanical avionics and manufacturing teams to integrate mechanisms into the spacecraft and close interface requirements.

• Bachelors degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or a related field.
• Minimum three years of experience designing spacecraft mechanisms or other relevant industry experience.
• Experience producing CAD models and drawings with GD&T in Autodesk Inventor or equivalent.
• Hands-on experience in a shop lab or cleanroom environment supporting hardware build integration or environmental testing.
• Experience sizing and selecting precision actuators and drivetrains including stepper or brushless DC motors harmonic drives gearheads and encoders.
• Experience selecting vacuum-compatible bearings and lubricants and addressing tribology cold welding and outgassing in flight mechanism design.
• Experience with hold-down and release devices including non-explosive actuators or pyrotechnic devices.
• Experience performing torque and force margin analysis of spacecraft mechanisms per NASA-STD-5017 or equivalent.
• 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.
• Multibody dynamics or kinematic simulation of deployment events.
• Experience with deployable structures such as booms reflectors or solar arrays and the gravity offload techniques used to test them.
• Structural analysis of mechanism components in Ansys Mechanical.
• Experience with pointing or gimbal mechanisms and their interaction with attitude control and pointing jitter.
• 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.