Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.
Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.
Senior Mechatronics Engineer
As a Senior Mechatronics Engineer at Astranis, you will be responsible for developing, designing, and implementing tests and test systems (test support custom hardware) for all the custom mechanisms on our spacecraft. You'll prove that our suite of mechanism designs work across environments to guarantee success on orbit through rigorous tests on the benchtop and in environments (thermal, vacuum, vibe).
Role
- Develop and design automated hardware and software solutions to test+validate mechanism hardware, interfacing with motors and controllers
- Write software in Python to control bench equipment, devices under test, and other test hardware
- Design and own testing racks used to develop, prototype and qualify mechanisms
- Work closely with the design team to provide feedback and insight through prototyping and qualification process
- Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly-growing team.
Requirements
- B.S. degree in mechatronics, electrical or computer engineering, or equivalent technical degree
- 4+ years of relevant experience
- A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development
- Comfort with ambiguity and turning high-level requirements into clear design/test objectives
- Hands-on experience using electrical test equipment (multimeters, torque cells/sensors, power supplies, load cells, servomotors, encoders, etc.) and interfacing with mechanical hardware
- Experience using Python
- Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.
Bonus
- Understanding and experience in environmental testing such as vibration, shock, thermal, burn-in, and TVAC
- Mechatronics experience using hardware such as motors and mechanisms
- Experience with CAD software (Solidworks, NX, etc.)
- Experience with designing and building electrical harnesses and connectors
- Experience automating tests, test equipment, or similar instrumentation
U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required
(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))
Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.