Flight Dynamics Engineer/Senior Flight Dynamics Engineer

The Enterprise Effects Division (EED) drives integration of Aerospace’s strategic capabilities across the national space enterprise. The divisionleveragesa broad array of engineering disciplines against avariedand dynamic portfolio of programs, customers, and national challenges. EED spans the capability lifecycle from concept and architecture design to performance assessment to application of space and space-enabled capabilities.

As a corecomponentof EED, the Earth Orbit Flight Dynamics Department (EOFDD) providesflight mechanicsexpertisefor launch vehiclesand space vehicles.Relevant skillsinclude orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, trajectory design and optimization, and atmospheric flight modeling and simulation.We are looking for anEngineering Specialist/Senior Engineering Specialistto join the EOFDD team.The selected candidate willprovideexpertisefora wide rangeofcustomerflight mechanics needs,supporting bothanalysis and research and developmentrequests.Thework will require candidates to provide deep technical solutionswhile alsocollaboratingwith engineering partnerstofacilitateintegrated solutions for our customers’hardest problems.Customers will includedefense, intelligence, and civil and commercialorganizations. 

Work Model

• This position will be a hybrid work model based in El Segundo, CA,Chantilly, VA;Albuquerque, NM, or Colorado Springs, CO with the expectation that the selected candidateworksat least4days a week onsite, as the business needs allow.

WhatYou’llBe Doing 

Primary Support

• Trajectorydesign and optimization for launch vehiclesand spacecraftfor missionsoperatingin LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO, and other earth-centric regimes

• Astrodynamics andorbitalmechanics analysis includingorbit propagation and maneuver design and optimization fororbit transfer,stationkeeping, graveyard, disposal, and reentryevents 

• Analysis ofvehicles withchemical and/or electric propulsion

• Evaluating contestedmissionsapplications for space systems tounderstand threat performance,assess vulnerabilities, andimprove system resiliency 

• Exploring and defining the evolvingDynamic Space Operations (DSO) mission area 

• Maneuver and orbit design,selection,and optimization for missions thatsupportRendezvousand Proximity Operations (RPO)objectiveswithcomplexoperational constraints

• Developing Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), exploring Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), andincorporating operationalconstraintsinto the design and maturation of space systems

• Providing operational supportfor nominallaunch andspacecraftdeploymentand transfersequences, anomaly resolution, and on-call emerging events

• Utilizingoptimalcontrol, flight mechanics, and computer science/algorithm development skills to create new capabilities to servicecustomer requestsas stand-alone services and/orready-to-integrate submodules 

• Combining AI/ML/RL techniques with flight mechanics modeling for assessing complex analysis and decision-making trade spaces

• Performing research and development andbuilding newflight dynamicstoolsto cultivate andmaintaina healthy and modern internal tool base

• Leveragingexternal tools like ASSET, GPOPS-II, SNOPT,POST, OTIS,Copernicus, GMAT, EMTG,etc.whereappropriate toaugment internallydeveloped capabilities

Additionalinter-department partnershipcollaborationsopportunities:

• Cislunar and exploration-classorbital mechanicsanalysisand trajectory optimization 

• Hypersonics, missiles, interceptors, and reentry vehicle trajectory design and optimizationsupporting Golden Dome or other related mission areas

• Time-dependentTraveling SalesmanProblems and Facility Location Problem(servicer)analysis

• Integrated,multi-disciplinary RPOsystem simulations

What You Need to be Successful 

MinimumRequirements for theEngineering Specialist– Flight Mechanicsposition:

• Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines

• Eightor moreyears of experienceinflight mechanics,astrodynamics,maneuver optimization,trajectory optimization, launch vehicle trajectory design,hypersonic vehicle modeling, orgeneraltrajectory modeling and simulation

• Proficiencyin one or more of the following programming languagesand environments: C, C++, Fortran, Python,Linux, and/or MATLAB

• The ability tooperateindependently, often in the presence of ambiguity, and still deliver high-quality,innovative,andspecializedend products to a range of customers 

• Willing to traveldomesticallyapprox.10%

• The ability to obtain andmaintainaUS security clearance(TS clearance (SSBI) with SCI access)isrequired. U.S citizenship isrequiredto obtain a security clearance. 

In addition to the above, theminimumrequirements for theSeniorEngineering Specialist– Flight Mechanicspositioninclude:

• Twelveor moreyears of experienceofrelevanttechnicalwork

• The ability tolead and execute large and sustained technical effortswith vision to propose, scope, and coordinate these efforts across organizational boundaries 

How You Can Stand Out 

It would be impressive if youhaveone or more of these:

• Advanced degree inaeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines is strongly desired

• Graduatelevelcourse work,researchand/or experience in one or more of the following areas:orbitalmechanics,astrodynamics,ascent trajectory modeling,hypersonic flight simulation,optimalcontrol, flight mechanics,and/ortrajectory modeling and simulation

• Experienceusing orbuilding analysis software to combine numerical methods, orbital or flight mechanics, and optimization approaches for launch vehicles,missiles,interceptors,spacecraft, or reentry vehicles(hypersonics)

• Experience with nonlinear programming (non-linear programming), direct methods, gradient-based optimization, parameter optimization, genetic algorithms, evolutionary algorithms, heuristic optimization methods, indirect methods, and/or calculus of variations

• Advanced algorithm development skills to include parallel processing and scripting experience

• Experience with contested space trajectory applications,military exercises,and wargaming events 

• CurrentTS (SSBI),TS/SCI,and/orTS/SAP Access