Support mechanical design of spacecraft optical systems (lens barrels, telescope structures, mounts, baffles, mechanisms). Turn optical concepts into flight hardware through CAD modeling, drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, BOMs, assembly procedures, and test fixture design while collaborating with optical engineers from concept through qualification.
Impulse Space is seeking an Opto-Mechanical Design Engineer Intern to support the development of precision optical systems for spacecraft. This role will focus on the mechanical design of optical assemblies, telescope structures, lens barrels, detector mounts, mirror mounts, baffles, pointing mechanisms, and alignment hardware for optical payloads.
This engineer will help turn optical concepts into flight hardware: mechanically robust, alignable, manufacturable, testable, and stable through launch and on-orbit environments. Depending on experience level, this role may support, own, or lead the design of opto-mechanical assemblies from early architecture through detailed design, build, test, and flight qualification.
The ideal candidate has strong mechanical design fundamentals, hands-on hardware experience, and interest in the intersection of optics, precision mechanisms, spacecraft environments, and production-ready flight hardware.
Responsibilities
- Design opto-mechanical hardware for spacecraft optical systems, including lens barrels, telescope structures, detector mounts, optical benches, mirror mounts, baffles, flexures, kinematic mounts, and precision alignment features.
- Design mechanisms used in optical systems, including gimbals, focus mechanisms, launch locks, adjustable mounts, fast steering mirror interfaces, voice-coil or limited-angle actuation systems, motorized stages, and pointing assemblies.
- Develop mechanical architectures that support optical performance requirements such as element spacing, decenter, tilt, detector placement, boresight alignment, line-of-sight stability, and alignment retention.
- Work with optical engineers to convert optical prescriptions, lens layouts, chief ray constraints, pupil locations, detector tolerances, and stray light constraints into practical mechanical designs.
- Support the development of athermalized optical barrels and precision camera/telescope assemblies for high-accuracy star tracker and optical payload applications.
- Create CAD models, drawings, tolerance stackups, GD&T, BOMs, interface control documents, assembly procedures, and test fixture designs.
Minimum Qualifications
- Recent completion or currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- Experience with mechanical design, precision hardware, opto-mechanical systems, mechanisms, aerospace hardware, or related engineering work through coursework, internships, research, or professional experience.
- CAD experience with NX, SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA, or similar mechanical design software.
- Understanding of mechanical drawings, GD&T, tolerance analysis, materials, fasteners, manufacturing processes, and assembly constraints.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience designing optical or precision mechanical hardware such as lens barrels, telescope assemblies, mirror mounts, detector mounts, baffles, flexures, kinematic mounts, or bonded optics.
- Experience with athermalized optical barrel design, CTE matching, thermal compensation, and material selection for optical stability.
- Experience with spacecraft, aerospace, camera systems, star trackers, EO/IR payloads, lasercom terminals, optical ground stations, or precision pointing systems.
- Experience with telescope structures, reflective optics mounting, mirror cells, compact optical assemblies, stray light baffles, and optical alignment features.
- Experience with mechanisms such as gimbals, fast steering mirrors, voice coils, torque motors, stepper motors, encoders, bearings, launch locks, flexure stages, and deployable or adjustable optical mounts.
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
Impulse Space El Segundo, California, USA Office
El Segundo, CA, United States, 90245
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