Senior Mechanical Engineer, Ground Systems

Join Astra's Ground Systems team to design and build the systems that support rocket testing and launch operations. You'll focus on mechanical and fluid systems - from propellant loading and environmental control to fire suppression and pad safety. This role combines hands-on hardware design with process definition to deliver reliable, mobile ground support equipment.

Responsibilities

Design mechanical and fluid systems using CAD (NX preferred); Create and maintain P&IDs and operational flow diagrams; Define procedures for startup, shutdown, and emergency operations; Perform structural analysis for sizing and validation; Support system build, integration, and field testing; Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, and operations teams; Improve system performance and maintainability over time

Requirements

5+ years' experience in mechanical/structural design; Experienced with a variety of structural design processes including fabrication, post weld heat treatment and machining; Can analyze welded joints using hand-calcs and FEA per AWS or equivalent standard; Experienced with bolted joint design; Experienced with CAD and PLM software tools, particularly with large, shared assemblies; Owns projects from beginning to end, with little oversight; Excited to work in a fast-paced, self-driven, iterative startup environment, and to build the systems that enable daily launches to space

Nice to have

Cryogenic or high-pressure system design; Familiarity with ASME B31.3, AWS D10.18, or similar codes; Experience operating or supporting field-deployed systems; Knowledge of aerospace or launch safety standards; Experience in aerospace or space startup environments preferred; Experience with release mechanisms and actuators