GNC Engineer - Electron Verified today
About Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems. Electron is one of the world's most frequently-launched rockets, with teams across the United States and New Zealand responsible for building, testing, and launching it.
The Role
You will be responsible for general mission design including trajectory design and optimization, auto-sequence planning and design, Monte Carlo analysis, configuration management, and mission design, launch operations, verification and validation tasks as required.
What You'll Do
Trajectory Optimization and Mission Design
- Assist with trajectory optimization and design for launch vehicle orbital missions and suborbital missions (HASTE).
- Assist with auto-sequence design including maneuvers, telemetry, and ground station contacts for flight, stack tests, and wet dress rehearsals.
- Perform analysis and missionization of optimized 3DOF trajectories for implementation in 6DOF and flight scenarios.
- Conduct Monte Carlo analysis pre-flight, launch day, and post-flight.
- Design and verify spacecraft separation sequences and dynamics.
GNC R&D and Support
- Assist with all areas of GNC development and maintenance for Electron, Neutron, and other programs, including core GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) R&D.
- Support vehicle parameter modelling, prediction, and configuration control.
- Contribute to 6DOF simulator design and development.
- Support launch and HITL operations.
Health and Safety
- Ensure health and safety policies and standard operating procedures are followed.
- Wear correct PPE in designated areas.
- Report near misses and incidents promptly.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Aerospace, Mechatronics, or equivalent qualification.
- Thorough fundamental understanding of orbital mechanics.
- Good theoretical and/or practical understanding of rigid body dynamics.
- 1-5 years of experience developing software.
- 1-5 years of relevant aerospace engineering experience, including rocketry experience.
Desirable Qualifications
- Experience with optimization for launch-vehicle or spacecraft missions.
- Experience with Python or MATLAB.
- Experience with GMAT or STK.
- Experience in development or implementation of a basic 3DOF propagator for LEO, lunar, or interplanetary trajectory from fundamental equations of motion.
Important Information
For candidates seeking to work in US offices: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or Department of Commerce.
For candidates seeking to work in New Zealand offices: Background checks will be undertaken prior to employment offers. For security reasons, you must be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by ITAR. You may be ineligible if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality.