Human Exploration Flight Control Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

Job Summary  

Building on The Aerospace Corporation's reputation as a trusted, impartial advisor with integrity and dedication to mission success, the Civil Systems Group (CSG) combines deep technical expertise with market-leading innovation to help our customers solve complex systems engineering and integration challenges. CSG is organized by core customer-facing lines of business to manage and grow programs within NASA, NOAA, and the NNSA, while extending our capabilities to other civilian federal government agencies fully integrated within Aerospace rules, regulations, processes, values, and behaviors. 

Within the CSG, the Human Exploration and Space Flight (HESF) Division supports our NASA customer in all aspects of human space flight. We are looking for a GNC Flight Control engineer - (Project Engineer/Sr. Project Engineer – Technical Project Management). In this role you will support the NASA Johnson Space Center Engineering Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division (AFMD) as a flight control expert supporting the systems engineering and integration activities with a focus on flight operations. The AFMD provides technical leadership in the engineering disciplines of aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics; guidance, navigation, and control flight performance; mission design; and autonomous systems. The division provides engineering design, development, testing, and evaluation for all phases of space flight (ascent, entry, orbit, and interplanetary) and for all types of human spacecraft.  

Work Model 

This is a full-time position based at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Tx, offering a hybrid work model that combines 3-4 regular onsite workdays and remote flexibility as the business and customer needs allow.   

What You’ll Be Doing  

• Support the overall flight control (automation) team on the NASA project 

• Develop requirements and justifications for the GNC Systems 

• Ensure dynamic control models are being developed by NASA standards and show execution of requirements 

• Assist in assessment of flight controller elements 

• Assess the overall vehicle performance model predication and stability margins for the different mission phases 

• Provide feedback on Monte Carlo trajectory analyses using independent 6 degrees-of-freedom simulations. 

• Support overall GNC system as well, representing flight control interests 

• Participate in milestone review during the development phases, assuring compliance of the proposed flight control approach via GNC to requirements.   

• Evaluate the integration of the Flight GNC to the propulsion, control elements, sensors and software to ensure flight control overall architecture is b