Senior Dynamics, Controls, Modeling, Simulation, And Analysis Engineer

The Amentum Space Exploration Division (ASED) Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNandC) team is a high performing group executing challenging tasks to design and integrate GNandC systems for projects ranging from CubeSats to NASAs Space Launch System (SLS). We are searching for highly qualified candidates to remotely support the design and development of a new solar sail spacecraft, a follow-on project to Solar Cruiser, in the Control Systems Design and Analysis branch at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center. The selected candidate will serve as a Senior Dynamics, Controls, Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis Engineer. This exciting work will serve as a critical step in solar sail technology maturation.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Define requirements for all Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS) hardware to be levied on the prime spacecraft bus contractor.
• Sizing actuators and sensors hardware including defining the number and location of reaction control jets and reaction wheels, developing initial propellant budgets, and determining range of motion for adjustable translators.
• Model rigid body dynamics, flexible body dynamics, sail shape, solar radiation pressure disturbance torque for all phases of the mission.
• Model control system effectors (reactions wheels, reaction control system, adjustable mass translations, reflectivity control devices) and sensors (star tracker, inertial measurement unit, sun sensor, etc.).
• Design, implement, and test attitude control algorithms with solar sails stowed, deploying, and deployed; attitude determination filters, including those using sensor fusion; and guidance algorithms, including sun pointing algorithms.

Job Requirements:

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related field is required. A degree from an ABET accredited institution is preferred.
• Typically, educational requirements are the equivalent of a Ph.D. with a minimum 9 years of experience; MS with at least 13 years of experience, or a BS with at least 15 years of experience.

Required Skills:

• Design and development of flight control systems (PID, state space, etc.) and actuator allocation including Thrust Vector Control (TVC), Reaction Control System (RCS)/Phase plane, and/or reaction wheels.
• Proficiency modeling spacecraft controls system effectors including TVC actuators, RCS thrusters, reaction wheels, and/or mass translators.
• Proficiency modeling spacecraft components/subsystems or disturbances including rigid and/or flexible body dynamics, solar sails, slosh, pogo, and/or solar radiation pressure.
• Proficiency defining requirements for and sizing actuators and sensors hardware including defining the number and location of reaction control jets and reaction wheels, developing initial propellant budgets, and determining range of motion for adjustable translators.
• Proficiency simulating and analyzing the 6 DOF performance of launch vehicles and spacecraft.
• Programming in MATLAB, Simulink, Simscape, and C/C++.
• Experience performing trade studies, sensitivity, and/or Monte Carlo simulation and analyses related to the control of launch vehicles and/or spacecraft.
• Experience performing hardware and software development, integration, verification, and validation.
• Must be detail oriented and self-motivated that can work independently taking projects from start to finish without much oversight.