Spacecraft Test Engineer

Xona Space Systems•Burlingame, CA

3d•$145,000 - $175,000

About The Position

Xona is seeking a Spacecraft Test Engineer to manage mechanical and environmental testing throughout the spacecraft development lifecycle. This role involves R&D, design de-risking, and first-article spacecraft qualification. You will work at the intersection of spacecraft design, mechanical engineering, materials, environmental testing, and systems engineering. Your responsibilities will include developing and executing tests to identify failure modes early, establishing engineering margins with physical data, and ensuring spacecraft readiness for launch. You will lead first-article spacecraft environmental testing, including vibration and thermal vacuum testing, from planning and fixture development through execution, data review, anomaly resolution, and reporting. The ideal candidate is adept at developing lab tests, working on the integration floor, troubleshooting, and presenting results across teams.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
3+ years of relevant engineering experience, with demonstrated ownership of hardware testing and verification.
Experience developing and executing mechanical or environmental tests on complex hardware.
Direct experience with one or more spacecraft environmental tests such as vibration, thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, shock, or structural testing.
Strong understanding of mechanical engineering fundamentals, including structural mechanics, materials, thermal effects, fasteners, joints, and interfaces.
Experience developing test fixtures, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
Ability to interpret test data, identify anomalies, and perform root-cause analysis.
Strong technical writing skills and experience producing engineering test plans, procedures, and reports.
Ability to work hands-on with flight hardware and test equipment.
Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across multiple engineering disciplines.
Demonstrated ability to take ownership of ambiguous problems and drive them to completion.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience leading spacecraft-level vibration or TVAC campaigns.
Experience with first-article or qualification testing of spacecraft or other aerospace hardware.
Experience with materials characterization, allowables testing, or other mechanical/materials test methods.
Experience correlating thermal or structural models with physical test data.
Experience designing test fixtures and GSE using CAD.
Familiarity with spacecraft environmental test standards and practices.
Experience with accelerometers, thermocouples/RTDs, strain gauges, load cells, or other test instrumentation.
Experience with data acquisition systems and test automation.
Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar tools for test automation and data analysis.
Experience working with external test facilities and vendors.
Experience with spacecraft integration, test, and launch operations.

Responsibilities

Identify high-risk mechanical, structural, thermal, material, and process risks early in the spacecraft development cycle.
Design and execute coupon-, component-, and subassembly-level tests to characterize materials, interfaces, processes, and hardware before design freeze.
Develop test-derived allowables and engineering data for critical mechanical interfaces, including bonded joints, structural interfaces, and other spacecraft hardware.
Perform material and process characterization to validate assumptions before they become embedded in flight designs.
Develop rapid mechanical and thermal tests to investigate potential failure modes and inform design decisions.
Partner directly with mechanical, structures, thermal, payload, electrical, and systems engineers to translate test results into actionable design changes.
Build and expand Xona's internal capabilities for advanced mechanical and materials testing.
Develop test methods for mechanical strength, tensile testing, optical properties testing, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), thermal characterization, and other specialized testing.
Design and build test fixtures, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems required to execute these tests.
Establish repeatable test methods, procedures, calibration practices, and internal engineering databases.
Use physical testing to validate and improve analytical and simulation models.
Identify opportunities to replace outsourced testing with faster, more responsive in-house capabilities.
Own the planning and execution of first-article spacecraft vibration testing, from test definition through final reporting.
Develop spacecraft vibration test plans and procedures in coordination with structures, systems, mechanical, electrical, and test teams.
Define test configurations, instrumentation, accelerometer placement, interface requirements, fixture requirements, and pre/post-test functional checks.
Design and/or oversee the design of spacecraft vibration fixtures and associated ground support equipment.
Coordinate with external vibration facilities and test operators to execute test campaigns safely and effectively.
Monitor test data in real time, identify anomalies, and make engineering decisions during test execution.
Perform pre- and post-test inspections, functional testing, and data analysis.
Lead investigation and root-cause analysis of test anomalies and drive corrective actions back into spacecraft design and manufacturing.
Develop and improve Xona's spacecraft test methodologies as the Pulsar fleet scales, including coupon, materials, preload, vibration, thermal, and TVAC.
Support spacecraft-level thermal vacuum (TVAC) test campaigns, including planning, instrumentation, execution, and post-test analysis.
Coordinate spacecraft configuration, GSE, chamber interfaces, thermal instrumentation, and test facility requirements.
Execute thermal cycling and thermal vacuum testing while monitoring spacecraft performance and identifying unexpected thermal behavior.
Work closely with thermal engineers to correlate thermal models against physical test data and identify model deficiencies.
Support early thermal characterization and model correlation to reduce surprises during formal spacecraft TVAC.
Analyze temperature, functional, and other test data to identify thermal or mechanical issues and recommend design improvements.
Lead post-TVAC inspections, functional testing, anomaly resolution, and test reporting.
Develop spacecraft-level verification strategies that connect early R&D testing with formal qualification and acceptance testing.
Define test objectives, success criteria, instrumentation, and data requirements.
Support PDR/CDR and other design reviews by providing test-derived evidence of mechanical and environmental performance.
Develop and maintain test plans, procedures, reports, and verification documentation.
Lead test readiness reviews and coordinate closure of test prerequisites and open technical issues.
Support qualification, acceptance, and flight hardware testing throughout the spacecraft lifecycle.
Drive lessons learned from testing into spacecraft design standards, manufacturing processes, and future vehicle builds.
Serve as a technical point of contact between spacecraft test and the broader engineering organization.
Work closely with mechanical, structures, thermal, electrical, payload, GNC, systems engineering, manufacturing, and operations teams.
Provide early, test-driven feedback to designers rather than waiting for formal qualification to discover problems.
Work directly with vendors and external test laboratories when specialized facilities or capabilities are required.
Mentor engineers and technicians in spacecraft test methods, environmental testing, instrumentation, and hardware handling.
Establish scalable test processes and standards as Xona increases spacecraft production.