Loads & Dynamics Engineer - Lunar Terrain Vehicle

Loads & Dynamics Engineer - Lunar Terrain Vehicle

(NASA LTVS Award Contingent)

Houston, Texas, United States

Intuitive Machines is an innovative and cutting-edge space company making cislunar space accessible to both public and private customers. Our mission is to further science and exploration, communications, and economic progress from the Earth to the Moon and beyond. With the first commercial lunar landing in history, multiple NASA lunar missions in development, and additional private missions on our manifest, we pride ourselves in supporting our customers and the nation in paving the way to return humans to the surface of the Moon. Our world-class team includes experts in all aspects of spacecraft subsystems design, development, and test, on-orbit operations, and safety.

Intuitive Machines is seeking a talented and experienced Loads & Dynamics Engineer to join our dynamic team. As a Loads & Dynamics Engineer, you will be responsible for analyzing and predicting the dynamic loads experienced by our aerospace vehicles.

*Employment in this role is contingent upon NASA selecting Intuitive Machines as the winner of the LTVS program, scheduled for announcement later in 2025. 

Responsibilities:

• Conduct comprehensive loads analysis to determine the external forces and moments acting on aerospace vehicles during various phases of flight, including ascent, descent, and landing.
• Perform dynamic modeling and simulation of aerospace vehicles to predict and analyze their structural response to external loads, including aerodynamic, inertial, acoustic, and gravitational forces.
•  Collaborate with flight test engineers to design and implement test plans for  providing input on load measurement systems and instrumentation.
• Work closely with structural engineers and designers to optimize vehicle structures and components for weight efficiency, structural integrity, and dynamic performance.
• Conduct vibration analysis and modal testing to characterize the dynamic behavior of aerospace structures and subsystems, identifying potential resonance frequencies and mode shapes.
• Define safe operating limits and flight envelopes based on loads and dynamics analysis results, considering factors such as aerodynamic loading, structural strength, and performance requirements.
• Prepare detailed technical reports, documentation, and presentations to communicate analysis results, findings, and recommendations to internal stakeholders and customers.

Qualifications: (This position is posted at multiple levels)

• Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field
• Various levels experience in structural dynamics, vibration, and/or launch vehicle dynamic analysis
• Proficient with performing analytical simulations in software such as NASTRAN, Simcenter 3D, MATLAB, Python
• Ability to solve a variety of static and dynamic structural problems using physics-based analytical methods (hand calculations, in-house tools, and 3rd party commercial analytical tools)
• Proficiency with signal analysis and processing in both time and frequency domains
• Experience with vibration and shock testing, from writing test plans, execution, and interpretation of results
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and make informed engineering decisions.
• Experience with coupled loads analysis on launch vehicles
• Experience with launch vehicle dynamic environments analysis
• Experience with modal testing and modal correlation
• Familiarity with relevant SMC / Range / NASA standards for analysis and test
• Experience with use of test / flight data to verify FEM results

US EEO Statement

Intuitive Machines is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.