Astrolab

Designs modular lunar rovers for exploration

Electromechanical Engineer

AvionicsUpdated on Nov 13

Full-timeHawthorne, CA, USA$100k - $230k /yrHybrid

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM)-related field is required.
At least 1 year of experience designing and developing physical hardware for high-reliability applications is required.
Experience using 3D computer-aided design software such as Siemens NX, Creo, or SolidWorks, including mechanical packaging, sheet metal, and machined enclosures, is required.
Experience working with electrical harnesses, interconnects, wire routing, shielding, and grounding for complex hardware systems is required.

Responsibilities

Lead the mechanical and structural design of space-qualified electronics enclosures to ensure survival under launch random vibration, acoustic loads, and shock environments.
Select flight-proven materials, surface treatments, and staking compounds while balancing structural stiffness, thermal conductivity, electrical bonding, and outgassing limits.
Produce flight drawing packages with precise geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, fastener torque schedules, and electrical grounding and bonding callouts per spaceflight standards.
Collaborate with thermal analysis teams to verify conductive thermal paths from high-power die and board interfaces to chassis conduction decks and radiator interfaces in vacuum.
Integrate passive and active thermal control hardware, including heat pipes, thermal straps, thermal interface materials, operational and survival heater circuits, resistance temperature detectors, thermistors, and multi-layer insulation blankets.
Architect static and articulated or dynamic harness installations, including cable wrap mechanisms, service loops, twist capsules, and flex or rigid-flex jumper assemblies.
Design custom brackets, harness support trays, strain relief features, and breakout bulkheads optimized for mass, mass-elastic constraints, and design for manufacturability.
Present and defend mechanical packaging, harness routing schemes, and thermal hardware implementations at formal milestone reviews, including preliminary design review, critical design review, test readiness review, and manufacturing readiness review.

Desired Qualifications

A master's degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM)-related field is preferred.
Experience applying thermal management concepts, including heat sinks, thermal interface materials, heaters, and thermal paths for hardware operating in controlled or vacuum environments is preferred.
Experience designing or supporting flight-qualified hardware for satellites, launch vehicles, lunar landers, space robotics, or other aerospace systems is preferred.
Experience using 3D harness routing or electrical routing tools, such as Capital Harness, Zuken E3, or NX Electrical Routing, is preferred.
Experience developing rigid-flex printed circuit board physical layouts or continuous-flex interconnects for moving mechanisms, gimbals, or deployment systems is preferred.
Experience working with spaceflight interconnect standards and requirements, including IPC/WHMA-A-620 Space Addendum and NASA-STD-8739.4, is preferred.
Experience designing or implementing multi-layer insulation for vacuum environments is preferred.
Experience performing bonding and grounding verification, including low-resistance or milli-ohm measurements, is preferred.
Experience designing or supporting vehicle harness bundles or avionics enclosures used in operational aerospace systems is preferred.

Astrolab is The Lunar Operations Company. We design and build the systems and hardware the lunar economy will come to depend on — rovers, power, and data networks for sustained operations on the Moon. We are focused on the problems that must be solved before the next chapter of human exploration can scale. The Moon does not forgive untested assumptions. The people who work here know that, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

We are seeking an Electromechanical Engineer with spaceflight hardware delivery experience, specializing in avionics electronics packaging, static and dynamic harness architecture, and passive/active thermal hardware integration.

You will bridge the disciplines of electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering and take ownership of the physical, electrical, and thermal interface boundaries that house and interconnect mission-critical spaceflight avionics designed to survive long-duration exposure in cislunar and lunar surface operations. You will solve coupled structural, radiation shielding, and extreme thermal/cryogenic design challenges, taking hardware from initial conceptual trade studies through cleanroom flight builds, environmental qualification, vehicle-level integration, and flight ops. This position will report to the Director of Avionics.

Lead the mechanical and structural design of space-qualified electronics enclosures, ensuring survival under launch random vibration, acoustic loads, and shock environments
Select flight-proven materials, surface treatments, and staking compounds while balancing structural stiffness, thermal conductivity, electrical bonding, and outgassing limits
Produce flight drawing packages with precise GD&T, fastener torque schedules, and electrical grounding and bonding callouts per spaceflight standards
Collaborate closely with thermal analysis teams to verify conductive thermal paths from high-power die and board interfaces to chassis conduction decks and radiator interfaces in vacuum
Integrate passive and active thermal control hardware, including heat pipes, thermal straps, thermal interface materials, operational and survival heater circuits, RTDs, thermistors, and multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets
Architect static and articulated or dynamic harness installations, including cable wrap mechanisms, service loops, twist capsules, and flex or rigid-flex jumper assemblies
Design custom brackets, harness support trays, strain relief features, and breakout bulkheads optimized for mass, mass-elastic constraints, and design for manufacturability (DFM)
Present and defend mechanical packaging, harness routing schemes, and thermal hardware implementations at formal milestone reviews, including PDR, CDR, TRR, and MRR

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) related field
1+ years of experience designing and developing physical hardware for high-reliability applications
Experience using 3D CAD software such as Siemens NX, Creo, or SolidWorks, including mechanical packaging, sheet metal, and machined enclosures
Experience working with electrical harnesses, interconnects, wire routing, shielding, and grounding for complex hardware systems

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience applying thermal management concepts, including heat sinks, thermal interface materials, heaters, and thermal paths for hardware operating in controlled or vacuum environments
Master’s degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) related field
Experience designing or supporting flight-qualified hardware for satellites, launch vehicles, lunar landers, space robotics, or other aerospace systems
Experience using 3D harness routing or electrical routing tools, such as Capital Harness, Zuken E3, or NX Electrical Routing
Experience developing rigid-flex PCB physical layouts or continuous-flex interconnects for moving mechanisms, gimbals, or deployment systems
Experience working with spaceflight interconnect standards and requirements, including IPC/WHMA-A-620 Space Addendum and NASA-STD-8739.4
Experience designing or implementing MLI for vacuum environments
Experience performing bonding and grounding verification, including low-resistance or milli-ohm measurements
Experience designing or supporting vehicle harness bundles or avionics enclosures used in operational aerospace systems

About the Company

Astrolab

Designs modular lunar rovers for exploration

Astrolab designs and builds modular rovers for lunar and extraterrestrial surface missions. Its flagship FLEX rover is a modular, reusable vehicle that can transport cargo, equipment, and crew across the Moon. The system works by using interchangeable payload modules on a shared rover chassis, allowing rapid reconfiguration for different mission profiles—from cargo delivery to astronaut transport—without needing a new vehicle. The rover is designed to be compatible with existing and planned space infrastructure, including NASA’s Artemis program, enabling integration with governmental and commercial lunar operations. What sets Astrolab apart is its emphasis on a single, adaptable platform with modular payloads that can handle a range of tasks and mission profiles, rather than many specialized, single-use machines. The company aims to enable a sustained lunar presence and expanded human activity beyond Earth by providing reliable, flexible surface mobility.

Company size: 51-200
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Hawthorne, CA
Founded: 2019

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