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Solar Array Engineer, Mechanical Verified today

Vast · Long Beach, CA · Electronics · first seen 2026-09-24
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Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure. Haven-1 is expected to become the world's first commercial space station when it launches in 2027. You will support the design, analysis, build, and test of mechanisms for solar array deployment and articulation on human-rated space stations, reporting to the Principal Power Systems Engineer.

Responsibilities

  • Design and analyze mechanisms for solar array deployment, including spring-driven hinges, latches, dampers, and hold-down/release devices
  • Design and analyze mechanisms for solar array articulation, including motorized gimbals, gear trains, bearings, and drive electronics interfaces
  • Build and maintain torque budgets for deployment and articulation mechanisms, including friction, harness resistance, disturbance torques, and margin verification per NASA-STD-5017B
  • Select and specify bearings, lubricants, motors, gearboxes, encoders/resolvers, and other drivetrain components for the space environment
  • Perform or support mechanism life analysis and define qualification test programs to demonstrate life margin
  • Design for integration and test, develop deployment test procedures, gravity offload approaches, and workmanship screens
  • Interface with structures, thermal, GN&C, and power teams to ensure mechanisms meet system-level requirements
  • Support environmental test campaigns per SMC-S-016
  • Perform or support failure analysis, root cause investigation, and mechanism anomaly resolution
  • Participate in design reviews, FMEA/FMECA, and technical documentation for internal and NASA deliverables

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related discipline
  • 5-10 years of experience designing, building, and testing electromechanical systems, preferably mechanisms for spacecraft, satellites, or robotic systems
  • Demonstrated experience with mechanism design fundamentals: bearings, gears, motors, springs, fasteners, and structural load paths
  • Ability to build and defend a torque budget or force budget for a mechanism from first principles
  • Experience with environmental testing of mechanical hardware (vibration, thermal cycling, life testing)
  • Hands-on experience building, assembling, or integrating hardware you designed

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Experience with spring-driven deployable mechanisms and deployment torque margin verification
  • Experience with motorized mechanisms such as gimbals, solar array drive assemblies, antenna positioners, or robotic actuators
  • Knowledge of tribology for the space environment, including solid film lubricants and space-rated greases
  • Familiarity with NASA-STD-5017B mechanism design and analysis
  • Experience with bearing design for space mechanisms
  • Understanding of control and feedback architecture for pointing mechanisms
  • Familiarity with deployment dynamics and spacecraft disturbance torques
  • Familiarity with SMC-S-016 or GEVS environmental test requirements
  • CAD experience in NX or similar
  • Experience with analysis tools such as hand calculations, MATLAB/Python, or FEA

Additional Requirements

  • Ability to travel up to 50% of the time
  • Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
  • Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted

Employment Details

Full-time, exempt position located in Long Beach, California. Pay range: $112,340-$230,472 USD, based on experience and demonstrated capability.

Compensation includes base salary, company equity, medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off (20+ days vacation for exempt staff), paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, and other benefits.

Export Control

The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore must either be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, and asylees and refugees with status granted.