Rendezvous Robotics

Spacecraft Mechanisms Engineer (Docking, Capture, and Mating Systems)

$110K–$170K

Golden, Colorado +1 · Full-time · Posted Sep 4, 2026

Location: Golden, Colorado
Golden, Colorado, United States
Experience: 4+ years of spacecraft or satellite mechanism design experience.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or a related field; advanced degree is a plus.
Visa sponsorship: Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations under ITAR.

About the job

Own the design, analysis, testing, and lifecycle of spacecraft docking, capture, and mating systems for in-space assembly.

Design and analyze docking latches, mating electrical interfaces, alignment budgets, and load paths.
Plan and support life, wear, vibration, shock, and thermal-vacuum testing; engage suppliers and support fabrication.
Take flight hardware from concept through qualification, production, and on-orbit operation.

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or a related field.
4+ years of spacecraft or satellite mechanism design experience.
Experience designing spaceflight hardware that has flown or completed flight qualification, and mechanisms with repeated contact and cyclic operation.
Experience with tolerance stack-up analysis, connector or contact interfaces, hands-on development and testing, structural FEA, 3D CAD, drawings, and GD&T (ASME Y14.5).

Advanced degree; relevant on-orbit servicing, rendezvous, docking, robotic interface, or ISAM experience.
Experience with vacuum tribology, life or wear testing, statistical tolerance analysis, or named FEA tools and CAD software.

USD 110,000 to USD 140,000 base salary; USD 140,000 to USD 170,000 base salary

FEA, GD&T, ASME Y14.5, Onshape, SolidWorks, NX, Creo, Python

Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative

First seen Oct 29, 2026 · Last verified Nov 5, 2026 (UTC)