Full-Time
Propulsion Engineer
Updated on 8/21/2026
Stratolaunch
201-500 employees
Designs, manufactures, and launches aerospace vehicles.
Compensation Overview
$120.5k - $206k/yr
Mojave, CA, USA
Remote
Travel estimated at 15–30%, including visits to supplier facilities and test ranges.
Bachelor's
 Aerospace Engineering (1) |
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- Experience with the design, development, testing, and operation of solid rocket motors.
- Experience with supplier management and providing technical insight and oversight for the larger team.
- Knowledge of solid rocket motor manufacturing processes, including composite case winding and propellant mixing, pouring, and casting.
- Ability to analyze, interpret, and communicate post-test data results.
- Ability to communicate technical challenges and guidance to varied audiences to explain rationale or resolve concerns.
- Ability to work on one's own initiative.
- Ability to quickly adapt to changing priorities.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Experience with Solid Performance Program and/or Chemical Equilibrium with Applications.
- Scientific coding experience with Python, MATLAB, Simulink, C, or C++.
- A bachelor's degree or Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited institution, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, with 5–10 years of engineering experience for the senior level or 10–20 years for the staff level.
- Manage requirements and interfaces throughout the design, development, testing, vehicle assembly, integration and test, and flight operations of the solid rocket motor.
- Provide oversight of solid rocket motor supplier activities and progress to ensure requirements are met.
- Conduct weekly meetings and coordinate technical reviews with the solid rocket motor supplier.
- Travel as required to supplier facilities for on-site observation of and participation in key manufacturing processes and test operations.
- Conduct post-test data analyses and interpret results in cooperation with the solid rocket motor supplier.
- Develop system performance models in support of guidance, navigation, and control.
- Conduct ballistics and thermal analyses to verify and corroborate supplier efforts.
- Specify requirements for and support the design of ground support equipment.
- Coordinate solid rocket motor deliveries, receiving, and inspection.
- Travel as required to the test range to support solid rocket motor installation and flight test operations.
- Provide regular and comprehensive communication to the hypersonic vehicle propulsion lead.
- Experience with ballistics, thermal, and/or combustion modeling.
- Experience conducting rocket motor sizing and configuration trade studies in support of vehicle concept development.
- Experience with aerospace-grade hardware, mechanical design best practices, and ASME Y14.5.
- Familiarity with explosives handling and classification.
- Experience with ground test hardware, including releasing engineering definition and developing work instructions.
- Experience with component-level or subsystem-level test planning and execution.
- Experience with computer-aided design tools, including NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks.
- Experience specifying and/or designing ground support equipment.
Stratolaunch designs, manufactures, and launches aerospace vehicles and technologies to meet national needs for reliable, routine access to space and to advance the United States’ ability to design and operate hypersonic vehicles. Its offerings span the full end-to-end process of aerospace programs, from initial design through manufacturing to launch operations. The company differentiates itself by focusing on practical space access and the development of hypersonic capabilities, aiming to support national security and defense needs rather than pursuing consumer or commercial applications. The goal is to provide dependable ways to reach space regularly while pushing forward the nation’s hypersonic design and operational expertise.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Huntsville, Alabama
Founded
2011
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 30, 2025 MACH-TB 2.0 awarded $90.8 million for two years.
- NASA's 2026 Talon-A study legitimizes reusable hypersonic flight infrastructure.
- Multiple 2026 Talon-A flights prove refurbishment economics and support faster contract expansion.
What critics are saying
- Stratolaunch depends on Pentagon buyers; one canceled program crushes utilization quickly.
- Cerberus ties invite Golden Dome conflict scrutiny after Senator Warren's July 2026 attack.
- If carrier-aircraft modifications slip, Talon-A stalls and Stratolaunch becomes a one-asset shop.
What makes Stratolaunch unique
- Talon-A reused after Mach 5 flights, giving Stratolaunch unmatched hypersonic cadence.
- March 6, 2026 MDA flight validated Spirit of Mojave and Talon-A3 operations.
- January 20, 2026 Elliott investment funds scaling, signaling credible defense-market depth.
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Benefits
9/80 schedule
Healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs)
Paid Maternity and Parental Leave
50% company match per contributed dollar into 401(k) savings plan, up to $11,500
Tuition reimbursement
Paid Holidays
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Remote Work Options
Hybrid Work Options
Flexible Work Hours
Wellness Program
Mental Health Support
Conference Attendance Budget
Professional Development Budget
Stock Options
Company Equity
Phone/Internet Stipend
Home Office Stipend
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 14%1 year growth
↑ 14%2 year growth
↑ 14%Stratolaunch named to Future Union's inaugural All-World Defense 300 list. Jul 30, 2026, 12:00 ET MOJAVE, Calif., July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Stratolaunch, a leading pure-play hypersonics company, today announced that it has been named to Future Union's inaugural All-World Defense 300, recognizing the most influential private companies that are shaping the future of defense and global national security. The All-World Defense 300 includes defense companies driving innovation and advancing technologies to strengthen national and allied security. Stratolaunch's inclusion reflects the company's continued momentum as a leading pure-play hypersonics company built to deliver the testing, targets, data and systems the U.S. and its allies need to compete in the next era of aerospace defense. "We're honored to be named to Future Union's inaugural All-World Defense 300 alongside organizations helping define the future of defense," said Zachary Krevor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stratolaunch. "Hypersonics are a national security necessity, and this recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team and the progress we've made in assisting in the acceleration of U.S. leadership in the space. We are proud to be delivering the hypersonic flight test capabilities that our country and our customers need to accelerate the development of next-generation hypersonic technologies." Within the last year alone, Stratolaunch has achieved significant operational milestones that underscore the company's position at the forefront of hypersonic innovation, including: * The completion of more than 10 hypersonic flights with the reusable, fully autonomous Talon-A aircraft; * The successful execution of a Flight Test Experiment for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, supporting ongoing hypersonic flight testing; and, * The announcement of a $90.8M contract award under MACH-TB 2.0 Task 3 for air-launched capability test vehicles. Stratolaunch continues to expand its hypersonic flight test capabilities, demonstrating increasing operational cadence and providing customers with repeatable flight opportunities that generate real-world data needed to validate advanced systems. About Stratolaunch Stratolaunch is a leading pure-play hypersonics company focused on the design, manufacture and operation of advanced aerospace systems for national security. The company enables faster, more affordable and more realistic hypersonic development through an autonomous, reusable, air-launched flight test platform and a growing portfolio of hypersonic target and mission-system offerings. For the latest news and information, visit www.stratolaunch.com and follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram. SOURCE Stratolaunch
Stratolaunch has completed more than 10 successful hypersonic flights with its Talon-A aircraft, the first reusable, fully autonomous air-launched hypersonic vehicle. The milestone demonstrates the company's position in hypersonic innovation for government and commercial customers. Talon-A reaches speeds exceeding Mach 5 and is air-launched from Stratolaunch's carrier fleet. After completing its high-speed flight profile, the vehicle lands on a standard runway for recovery and reuse, reducing turnaround time and cost per flight. Each mission was conducted with no onboard crew, showcasing advanced autonomous systems. Multiple flights used the same vehicle, validating Stratolaunch's approach to rapid refurbishment and redeployment. "We are transforming hypersonic testing from a rare event into a routine service," said Dr Zachary Krevor, CEO and president of Stratolaunch.
Stratolaunch successfully conducted a hypersonic test flight for the US Missile Defense Agency on 6 March 2026, using its Boeing 747-400 carrier aircraft, Spirit of Mojave, and the Talon-A3 hypersonic vehicle. The mission, designated Flight Test Experiment Other-04, launched from Mojave Air and Space Port. The Spirit of Mojave transported the Talon-A3 to planned release conditions, enabling the aircraft to begin its flight profile at higher altitudes. Stratolaunch operates the world's largest aircraft designed for air-launch missions and high-speed flight research. The Talon-A fleet serves as reusable hypersonic test platforms designed to collect data in high-speed flight environments, supporting government and industry efforts to advance hypersonic technologies with flexible global flight operations and rapid mission turnaround.
NASA awards hypersonic vehicle research contracts. NASA has awarded two contracts to explore how current vehicle platforms could be modified to provide reusable, affordable flight-testing capabilities for airbreathing hypersonic aircraft. SpaceWorks Enterprises, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Stratolaunch, of Mojave, California, will each conduct six-month studies examining ways to bridge the gap between hypersonic ground and flight tests. SpaceWorks received US$500,000 to focus on the X-60 platform, while Stratolaunch received US$1.2 million to study its Talon-A platform. Unlike rocket-powered vehicles that carry their own oxygen supply, airbreathing hypersonic aircraft take in surrounding air as they fly. This approach enables much longer sustained cruising at hypersonic speeds - defined as five times the speed of sound. "With these awards, NASA will collaborate with the commercial hypersonics industry to identify new ways to evaluate technologies through flight tests while we address the challenges of reusable, routine, airbreathing, hypersonic flight," said Dr Nateri Madavan, director of NASA's Advanced Air Vehicles Program. The studies aim to define the capabilities needed to achieve flight test requirements for air-breathing hypersonic aircraft, with a focus on high-cadence, cost-effective testing. The work will also potentially support a future NASA Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics (MACH) project. MACH would focus on advancing commercial hypersonic vehicles through the development of supporting infrastructure, including cost estimates and schedule requirements for a potential flight vehicle.
/PRNewswire/ -- Stratolaunch has completed a significant capital raise to accelerate growth and welcomes Elliott Investment Management L.P. (together with its...