Axient is seeking a Senior Engineer with expertise in Spacecraft Payload Mechanical Systems in support of the Gateway Deep Space Logistics (DSL) Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This position will contribute to Insight, Surveillance, Systems Engineering, Analysis, and Mission Operations support services to the DSL Program. This position supports DSL related work to develop, integrate, and execute Gateway Logistics Services (GLS) missions to deliver cargo, payloads, or other Gateway elements to the Gateway in lunar orbit.

Responsibilities include systems engineering and integration activities related to management of mission requirements and verification with external customers, insight, surveillance, and mission activities directly related to specific GLS missions, but also and other DSL mission work. Other specific responsibilities include:

• Evaluate the GLS Provider's design, analyses, testing, manufacturing, verification, validation, assembly, integration, checkout, and mission preparations for compliance with applicable Program/Project requirements.
• Present evaluation results to DSL to assist with requirements verification closure and mission readiness determination for GLS missions.
• Participate in DSL Engineering Review Boards (ERBs), Logistics Control Boards (LCBs), and other management or independent reviews to provide technical assessment of the GLS Provider’s compliance with the Program/Project requirements, requirements verification closure and mission readiness determination for GLS missions.
• Evaluate GLS Provider troubleshooting and resolution plans for hardware and software anomalies sustained during qualification and acceptance testing, spacecraft processing, or in-flight operations.
• In the event of anomalies, provide independent evaluation of root cause, contributing causes, and recommended corrective actions.
• Track failure trends of components and investigate latent defects.
• Support NASA-chaired Mishap Investigation Board (MIB) meetings in the event of a failed mission.
• Assess DSL and GLS Provider spacecraft, ground systems, and associated engineering and analytical products, throughout the life cycle for GLS missions and fleet activities.

Required Skills & Experience:

• The applicant should have extensive engineering experience in support of spacecraft development, integration, testing, or operations and possess expertise in the following fields:
• Spacecraft system/payload mechanical integration and testing
• Computation and validation of spacecraft structural static and dynamic loads and stress using in-house and commercial analytical tools
• High-frequency environment prediction for spacecraft
• Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and associated tools (e.g., NX™ Nastran®, FEMAP, MATLAB®, Mathcad, and ANSYS) 
• Component design and assembly management using 3D CAD software
• Familiarity with NASA-STD-5002A, Load Analyses ff Spacecraft and Payloads and NASA-STD-5017, Design and Development Requirements For Mechanisms

• The applicant should have the ability to work in a team environment consisting of NASA civil servants and various contractor employees and possess excellent oral and written communication skills.

• This position may require periodic travel to the Logistics Vehicle customer site and other NASA centers (not anticipated to exceed one trip per month)

Experience in the following areas is highly desired:

• NASA commercial launch and service providers (e.g., Commercial Crew or Commercial Cargo), Orion, Human Landing System, or other NASA spaceflight programs

Required Experience & Education: 

• BS in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related STEM discipline and MA/MS in a relevant discipline.
• Applicant should have over 10 years of relevant experience.

Work location:  This position provides on-site support at Kenndey Space Center (KSC).  Current post-pandemic operations at KSC require at least three on-site days per week and telework from a residence in the local area for remaining workdays.