At ispace U.S., we’re not just going to the Moon—we’re redefining how we get there. Our missions push the boundaries of human and robotic exploration, driven by our belief: “Expand our Planet. Expand our Future.” By providing cost-effective lunar transportation, we are pioneering a future where space is within reach for scientific discovery, commercial ventures, and sustainable exploration.
With locations in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States, ispace is rapidly growing and leading the way in lunar exploration and development. Our U.S. branch is based in Englewood, Colorado, and focuses on high-capacity payload lunar landers designed to support future lunar missions. Our team is made up of innovators, problem-solvers, and visionaries committed to making space more accessible and fostering the next generation of space exploration.
Let’s go to the Moon together! Our team is growing, and we are actively seeking talented individuals who share our passion for space.
We are seeking a Ground operations & Flight Dynamics Engineer to join our mission operations team in a hybrid role focused on mission planning, flight dynamics analysis, and spacecraft operations execution. This position is central to ensuring mission success through disciplined preparation and reliable operations support during critical mission phases.
You will be an integral member of the operations team—working across mission planning, navigation analysis, and on-console operations support—while contributing to the development and enhancement of flight dynamics systems and planning tools that enable safe and efficient lunar mission execution.
This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career engineer to grow into a critical operations role within a dynamic, lean team environment where your contributions will directly impact mission success.
Key Responsibilities
Execute trajectory analysis for lunar orbital missions to support mission planning and maneuver execution with precision and accuracy.
Develop and maintain production-quality Python software for flight dynamics systems and mission planning tools, implementing rigorous testing to ensure reliability of flight-critical code.
Support real-time spacecraft operations as an operations analyst, monitoring telemetry, analyzing system performance, and participating in console operations during mission-critical phases including performing orbit determination.
Perform Monte Carlo simulations and spacecraft analysis (attitude, thermal, power, orbital parameters) to assess mission performance under various scenarios and inform operational decisions.
Collaborate with international engineering teams in Japan and the U.S. to integrate existing flight dynamics capabilities and contribute enhancements to shared mission planning infrastructure.
Generate and maintain operations procedures, flight rules, and technical documentation to ensure operational readiness and mission assurance throughout all mission phases.
Coordinate with GNC, software, systems, payload, and ground station teams.
Develop operational procedures, simulations, and automation tools
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or related technical field. We will consider a combination of relevant experience and education.
2-4 years of relevant experience in astrodynamics, flight dynamics, mission operations
Proven organizational skills
Good Python programming skills with ability to write production-quality, well-structured code
Solid foundation in astrodynamics including orbital mechanics, trajectory analysis, and spacecraft dynamics, orbit determination
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
Ability to work effectively in a dynamic team environment with limited resources
Self-directed work style with ability to navigate ambiguity and take initiative
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Demonstrated ability to focus and complete tasks under deadline pressure
Team-oriented mindset with willingness to learn
Willing to have a flexible working hours to facilitate meetings with Luxemburg and Japan’s offices
Familiarity with GIT
What will Make You Stand Out
Proven organizational skills, details-oriented
Experience with GMAT, STK and Monte
On-console experience/real time operations
Experience with orbit determination, estimation theory, least squares methods, or filtering techniques
Understanding of software testing principles and practices
