Full-Time

CNC Machinist Setup & Operation

Lathe

Starpath Robotics

Starpath Robotics

11-50 employees

Robotic ISRU factories producing lunar propellant

Compensation Overview

$25 - $40/hr

+ Overtime pay possible

No H1B Sponsorship

United States

In Person

Category
Mechanical Engineering (1)
Required Skills
GD&T
Assembly

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Requirements
  • A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
  • Two to five years of CNC machining experience is required.
  • Above-average knowledge of two-axis CNC turning and exposure to multi-axis machining are required or encouraged.
  • Proficiency in OKUMA OSP controls and G-code, or willingness to learn, is required.
  • The employee must be able to lift up to 25 pounds unassisted.
  • Frequent standing, bending, grasping, pulling, and other shop-floor activities are required.
Responsibilities
  • Set up and operate two-axis CNC lathes to support precision aerospace robotics manufacturing.
  • Edit and optimize programs in OKUMA G-code.
  • Interpret engineering drawings, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing models, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing requirements to produce efficient machining strategies.
  • Perform setups and operate CNC lathe machines, including cutting soft jaws, changing to a collet nose, using pie jaws, gathering tooling, performing offsets, and producing first-article parts.
  • Use inspection equipment to inspect parts after each operation.
  • Maintain records of markups on prints, save programs, setup sheets, and tool lists.
  • Select and optimize tooling and adjust speeds and feeds for efficiency and tool life.
  • Saw-cut material, deburr parts, use grinders and pneumatic tools, and perform general shop-hand duties.
  • Maintain a clean work environment and shop space.
  • Take ownership of the machine shop and troubleshoot and optimize operations.
  • Mentor teammates and share best practices across the team.
  • Assist with product assembly when needed.
  • Assist with maintenance, cleanliness, upkeep, and repairs of machinery.
Desired Qualifications
  • Five or more years of CNC machining experience.
  • Expertise in CNC turning, including boring, grooving, threading, and drilling, using chucks with hard jaws, soft jaws, collets, and on-centers turning.
  • A strong background in complex turning contours and aerospace-style applications.
  • Experience optimizing processes for productivity, quality, and repeatability.
  • Familiarity with feeds, speeds, and tooling types for aluminum alloys 6061 and 7075, 300- and 400-series stainless steel, carbon steels, plastics, and similar materials.
  • Experience mentoring others and leading shop projects.

Starpath Robotics designs and builds robotic factories that can operate on the Moon and Mars to mine local resources, refine them into rocket propellant, and distribute it as a space refueling infrastructure. Its product works by deploying autonomous or remotely operated factory units that extract water ice, process it into propellant, and supply rockets and landers with fuel, enabling in-situ production of propellant for deep-space missions. Unlike others that may offer individual components, Starpath aims to provide a full-stack hardware system for ISRU-based propellant production and distribution as a service, targeting both private space companies and government agencies. The company’s goal is to establish a space refueling station that significantly lowers the cost of moving payloads in deep space by eliminating the need to launch heavy fuel from Earth, supporting the vision of long-term off-world colonies and multi-planet humanity.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Seed

Total Funding

$12M

Headquarters

Hawthorne, California

Founded

2022

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • On January 21, 2026, Starpath renewed Atomic-6 work on deployable solar array masts.
  • In August 2025, NASA Marshall TVAC tests advanced Starpath's upgraded R10 rover.
  • Indeed listed ten Hawthorne jobs in April 2026, signaling active hiring.

What critics are saying

  • Starpath still has no announced lunar launch customer, leaving revenue dependent on prototypes.
  • The company needed roughly $50 million beyond seed funding to reach lunar operations.
  • SpaceX, Astrobotic, and Blue Origin can outspend Starpath, crushing its ISRU race.

What makes Starpath Robotics unique

  • Former SpaceX engineers Saurav Shroff and Mihir Gondhalekar build lunar propellant factories in Hawthorne.
  • Starpath pairs excavation robots with solar infrastructure, including Atomic-6 mast development in 2026.
  • NASA Break the Ice prize and Marshall TVAC testing validate R10 under lunar conditions.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Paid Vacation

Company Equity

Meal Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

3%

2 year growth

10%
Military & Aerospace Electronics
Nov 26th, 2024
Starpath Robotics taps Atomic-6 to develop deployable boom for lunar solar power tech

Starpath Robotics taps Atomic-6 to develop deployable boom for lunar solar power tech.

SpaceDaily
Nov 25th, 2024
Atomic-6 partners with Starpath Robotics for Lunar Power Tower development

Atomic-6 has entered into a development contract with Starpath Robotics to design and build a deployable composite boom for Starpath's advanced solar power generation system.

Los Angeles Business Journal
Aug 26th, 2024
Starpath Raises $12 Million Seed Round

Starpath raises $12 million seed round.

Business Insider
Aug 20th, 2024
Starpath Robotics raises $12M seed funding

Starpath Robotics, founded by former SpaceX engineers, raised $12 million in seed funding to develop reusable lunar spacecraft technology. The startup plans to mine lunar ice for water to create rocket propellant, enabling spacecraft to refuel and return to Earth. The funding, co-led by 8VC and Fusion Fund, will support a new facility in Hawthorne, CA, R&D, and hiring. Starpath aims to install its technology on a Moon-bound spacecraft by mid-2026.

TechCrunch
Aug 20th, 2024
Starpath accelerates moon water mining plans with $12M in funding | TechCrunch

Starpath Robotics wants to make the moon a refueling station for rockets, lunar landers and other spacecraft.