Role: Mechanical Engineer – Satellite Systems

Function: Mechanical Engineering / Aerospace Hardware

Location: Bengaluru, India

Type: Full-time

Industry: Aviation & Aerospace / Commercial Space

About Company

A venture-backed seed-stage startup founded in 2023, with $2.2M in funding. The company builds low-cost, highly reliable ADCS components — reaction wheels, star trackers, and torque rods — for LEO satellites.

Headquartered in the US with operations in Bengaluru, it serves satellite manufacturers and space mission developers globally. The team brings deep expertise from numerous space missions, including experience from Tesla, Ethicon, Apollo Fusion, and Planet.

The company is scaling its manufacturing capabilities and cutting the lead times and costs that have long slowed the commercial space industry.

Position Overview

As a Mechanical Engineer at the company, you will own the end-to-end design, analysis, and testing of satellite components and ADCS subsystems. You will work hands-on with flight hardware in a fast-paced startup environment, driving designs from concept through qualification. This role requires strong first-principles thinking, deep aerospace manufacturing knowledge, and a bias for action.

Role & Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end mechanical design of satellite components and subsystems — from packaging and structural analysis through manufacturing and testing
• Apply first-principles thinking to make data-backed design decisions and optimize assembly and testing processes
• Perform hand calculations and analysis to validate structural and thermal integrity of designs
• Apply GD&T principles to generate cost-effective, manufacturable, high-quality parts per NASA/MIL/ISO standards
• Lead structural, vibration, and shock testing campaigns to validate component reliability and support qualification
• Work hands-on with flight and test hardware to troubleshoot, debug, and refine designs through root cause analysis
• Manage vendor relationships and oversee component fabrication to ensure alignment with space-grade performance requirements
• Lead technical design reviews and present concepts, analysis results, and test outcomes to internal and external stakeholders

Must Have Criteria

• 5+ years of mechanical design experience for satellites or space systems, covering the full lifecycle from requirements to testing
• Proficiency in at least one professional CAD tool (SolidWorks, CATIA, OnShape, or equivalent) and a PLM system
• Strong expertise in structural analysis including hand calculations for stress, thermal, and dynamic loads
• Hands-on experience with GD&T and aerospace manufacturing processes (machining, fabrication, tolerancing)
• Direct experience with vibration and shock testing — test planning, execution, and data analysis
• Experience developing and maintaining design documentation to NASA, MIL, or ISO standards
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field

Nice to Have

• Proficiency in OnShape for collaborative CAD in a startup environment
• Experience with FEA tools such as Nastran or ANSYS for structural simulation
• Background in optomechanical design and alignment for space optical systems
• Familiarity with MATLAB or Python for analysis automation and data processing
• Prior experience at a satellite startup or small spacecraft manufacturer

What We Offer

• Competitive salary in the range of ₹12–15 LPA
• Opportunity to work on real flight hardware that orbits the Earth
• High-ownership role with direct impact on product design and company growth
• Collaborative team with deep expertise from multiple space missions
• Fast-paced, learning-rich environment at a well-capitalized seed-stage startup