About this job

Momentus provides in-space transportation services. To do this, we are building and operating orbit transfer vehicles which carry spacecraft from the orbit where they are initially dropped-off to their final orbit where they need to be to perform their mission.

In order to deliver our customers from one orbit to another as quickly and efficiently as possible, we perform extensive optimizations of our orbital trajectories.

Momentus is seeking talented orbit analysts, trajectory optimization engineers, GNC engineers, and mission designers interested in joining our mission design team to help us chart our path through space.

Responsibilities

• Enhance, create, maintain, and operate software codes used to perform orbital trajectory optimizations
• Research and create advanced algorithms for use in improving the level of optimization of orbital trajectories
• Train other team members in the use of basic orbit simulation and design tools
• Lead others in the definition and development of new analysis tools
• Support the writing of proposals by providing technical content and review as well as trajectory visualizations and descriptions
• Work with vehicle design teams to incorporate trajectory optimization into design trade studies
• Meet occasionally with customers to understand customer needs, and incorporate those needs into mission designs
• Perform mission design tasks as needed including: constellation design, impact probability analysis, and other related analyses

Profile

• PhD in Orbital Mechanics, Optimal Control Theory, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or equivalent
• Alternatively: BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or equivalent and 4-8 years experience
• Mission design and orbit simulation experience using commercial software (STK, FreeFlyer, etc.) or custom software
• Experience with optimal control theory algorithms and implementation
• Experience implementing orbital propagation algorithms and simulations in software
• Aptitude and experience with a variety of programming languages (preferred one of more of: Python, Matlab, Fortran, and C++)
• Preferred: Experience with orbital rendezvous trajectory design, experience with multibody transfer trajectory design, and/or experience with low-thrust trajectory design