Systems Modeling Engineer – Space Safety & Sustainability - TeraWave

Blue Origin•Bay Area, WA

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! Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide. As a member of the Integrated System Modeling team within Blue Origin's Chief Systems Architecture office, you will develop, own, and maintain the analytical models that underpin our space safety and sustainability posture. Your models will directly inform architecture decisions on debris mitigation, collision avoidance, post-mission disposal, and demise compliance—translating regulatory requirements and physical environments into quantitative predictions that drive design. This is a hands-on modeling and analysis role. You will build and maintain integrated models in MATLAB, Python, and purpose-built tools that produce the quantitative basis for our space safety commitments. Your work will feed directly into regulatory filings, architecture trade studies, and design requirements across spacecraft, propulsion, power, and operations teams. You will work alongside engineers modeling power, communications, and orbital performance, ensuring that space safety analysis is tightly coupled to the broader system picture and that sustainability trades are evaluated in the context of their impact on network capability.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, astrodynamics, physics, mechanical engineering, or equivalent technical field
5+ years of experience in orbital debris analysis, spacecraft survivability, collision avoidance, or closely related technical disciplines, with demonstrated hands-on modeling and analysis experience
Proficiency in MATLAB and/or Python for scientific computing, with demonstrated ability to develop, validate, and maintain engineering analysis tools
Working knowledge of the MMOD environment, including debris population models (e.g., ORDEM), and experience applying them to spacecraft risk assessment
Familiarity with re-entry demise analysis methodology and tools (e.g., DAS or equivalent), including aerothermal modeling of spacecraft breakup and ground casualty risk estimation
Working knowledge of conjunction assessment and collision probability methods, including covariance-based Pc estimation, miss distance statistics, and screening methodologies
Ability to clearly document modeling methodology, assumptions, and results in written reports suitable for regulatory submission and cross-team consumption
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Nice To Haves

Master's or Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, astrodynamics, or a closely related field with thesis work relevant to orbital debris, spacecraft survivability, or space traffic management
8+ years of experience spanning multiple areas of space safety analysis, including MMOD, demise, collision avoidance, and long-term debris environment modeling
Experience with large-scale LEO constellation programs and unique analytical challenges such as fleet-level collision risk aggregation, intra-constellation conjunction management, and disposal reliability analysis
Experience with Monte Carlo simulation techniques for uncertainty quantification in orbital mechanics and debris analysis
Familiarity with space surveillance data products and commercial space situational awareness (SSA) services
Experience developing automated analysis pipelines and integrating models into larger simulation frameworks
Knowledge of spacecraft design considerations for debris mitigation, including shielding, tank and battery protection, and design-for-demise principles
Experience with hypervelocity impact testing data, ballistic limit equations, or empirical MMOD damage models
Familiarity with version control (Git), collaborative development practices, and software engineering principles applied to engineering analysis tools

Responsibilities

Develop, own, and maintain MMOD environment and impact risk models, including flux characterization, impact probability estimation, and shielding effectiveness assessment to inform vehicle design requirements
Develop and maintain demise and re-entry survivability models, including aerothermal breakup analysis, ground casualty risk estimation, and compliance assessment against demisability requirements
Develop collision probability models and conjunction assessment analysis tools at full constellation scale
Build and maintain validated, version-controlled, and documented analytical tools in MATLAB and/or Python, ensuring reproducibility of results and enabling rapid trade studies as the design evolves
Perform MMOD-driven failure mode analysis for critical spacecraft systems—particularly batteries, propellant tanks, and pressurized systems—to inform shielding, placement, and passivation design decisions
Support adherence to orbital debris mitigation plans by providing the underlying analytical results, model descriptions, and compliance assessments required for regulatory submission
Integrate space safety models within the broader Integrated System Model, ensuring consistency with system-level orbital mechanics, power, thermal, and mission timeline models
Perform trade studies quantifying the space safety implications of constellation design choices, including altitude and inclination, spacecraft geometry and materials, disposal strategies, and operational concepts
Develop and maintain space traffic density and long-term debris environment models, including assessment of the constellation's own contribution to the debris environment
Collaborate with spacecraft, propulsion, power, thermal, and GNC teams to translate model outputs into actionable design requirements