Constellation Mission and Trajectory Analyst III

BLUE ORIGIN • Reston, VA

7d • $119,814 - $167,739

About The Position

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight! The role is part of the In-Space Systems business unit, which is focused on addressing two of the most compelling challenges in spaceflight today: space infrastructure and increasing mobility on-orbit. In this role, you will be accountable for trajectory modeling and simulation of multi-spacecraft mission architectures to meet our business goals. As part of a hardworking team of engineers, you will join our Astrodynamics and Trajectory Execution team as a Constellation Mission and Trajectory Analyst. You will be an individual contributor, subject matter expert, and the primary analyst for constellation trajectory-related modeling and simulation, delta-v budgeting, station-keeping analysis, lifetime analysis, terrain footprints, and other related data products. Expertise in the modeling and simulation of large-scale constellations is a must. You should expect this position to begin as a preliminary mission design role, but to grow into one that eventually involves operational flight dynamics. You will be responsible for exemplifying best practices, balanced technical judgment, and superior work ethic in a time-constrained environment. We are looking for someone to apply their technical expertise, leadership skills, and commitment to quality to positively impact safe spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Requirements

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related fields.
• 5+ years of proven experience focused in satellite mission design.
• Applied experience in mission design tools such as Monte, STK/ODTK, FreeFlyer, Copernicus, or GMAT.
• Strong fundamentals in astrodynamics.
• Applied experience in constellation orbit design and trade studies
• Baseline understanding of LEO, MEO, GEO satellite maneuver sequences such as orbit raising, station-keeping, and disposal
• Experience in at least one of the following languages: Python, Julia, or C++.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the preliminary mission design cycle.
• Experience defining, planning, and documenting ConOps for spacecraft missions.
• Experience with defining collision avoidance processes.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience working on and effectively communicating with a distributed team.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Nice To Haves

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related fields.
• Detailed knowledge in large-scale computing and Monte Carlo analysis
• Detailed algorithmic knowledge of low-thrust orbit raising and station-keeping for large-scale LEO and MEO constellations, as well as GEO satellites.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the mission design lifecycle from conceptualization through operational flight.
• Experience with DevOps processes including configuration control, continuous development and deployment workflows, Agile methodologies, software code review.
• Previous experience with software development tooling such as Jira, git, Jenkins, Docker and at least one IDE.
• Willingness or ability to acquire Active Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance with Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) with polygraph preferred.

Responsibilities

• Architectural design of LEO constellations, MEO architectures, and GEO satellites
• Analytical trade studies of LEO, MEO, and GEO mission concepts
• Scripted use of numerical modeling and simulation trajectory tools (e.g. STK, GMAT, FreeFlyer, Monte) for LEO and MEO constellation design in high-fidelity dynamical models
• Development of trajectory design algorithms for Earth-based station-keeping simulations.
• Development of overall delta-v budgets that result in feasible mission architectures
• Development overall mission and trajectory ConOps and timeline activities
• Development of launch vehicle trajectory interface conditions
• Inform mission-level requirements
• Perform Monte Carlo analysis of dispersed trajectory scenarios.
• Develop overall collision avoidance processes and orbit debris mitigation processes
• Develop maneuver design software in Python, Julia, and the Monte toolkit.
• Deliver results in accordance with Agile methodology of development.
• Understand necessary tracking and measurements needed for orbit determination performance.
• Support development of technical memos, presentations, and documentation.
• Present results and support gated reviews.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior