Flight Termination System Engineer Verified today

About Cowboy Space

Cowboy Space Corp. is building orbital infrastructure to power the space economy. The company operates Low Earth Orbit satellites that collect sunlight and enable new capabilities: on-orbit compute power, energy transmission via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), and secure optical data delivery. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space is backed by leading investors and staffed by engineers from top aerospace and defense organizations.

The Role

Serve as the technical authority for the flight safety system that determines when and how the launch vehicle terminates flight. You will own the Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) end to end: the Range and FAA relationship, the flight safety analysis, the safety-critical avionics architecture, and the qualification and certification campaign. AFTS is one of the longest-lead, highest-consequence items on the path to first flight. You will work closely with the avionics team to define the safety-critical architecture including redundancy, navigation, power and telemetry. As a Staff-level individual contributor, you will set the technical direction for Cowboy's flight safety discipline, establish engineering methodologies and standards, make the build-versus-integrate decisions, and own the range and regulatory interface directly.

Responsibilities

• Own the flight safety system as the discipline lead: architecture, analysis, qualification, and certification from concept through flight readiness.
• Actively participate in board- and system-level hardware design reviews, lead safety-related discussions, and serve as the go-to person for safety-related hardware design decisions.
• Lead the AFTS relationship with Space Launch Delta 45 (Eastern Range) and the FAA/AST, and own the flight safety system approach within Cowboy's Part 450 application and associated safety data deliverables.
• Make the build-versus-integrate decision, including integration of CASS (Core Autonomous Safety Software), and define the safety-critical avionics architecture in partnership with the avionics team.
• Define the flight abort rules, hazard and debris footprint analysis, and mission data load, and verify abort logic through Monte Carlo and statistical methods.
• Specify redundant flight computers, independent GPS/INS navigation, independent power, and independent telemetry and ordnance interfaces to RCC 319 and autonomous flight safety requirements.
• Own the environmental qualification campaign (vibration, shock, thermal, and EMI) for flight safety hardware, and the verification evidence supporting certification.
• Deliver clear, timely safety requirements and interfaces to avionics, GNC, propulsion, and structures teams.
• Investigate anomalies and reconstruct flight safety performance from telemetry to improve future analysis and rule sets.
• Establish the methods, tools, and standards the flight safety discipline works to.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance across the avionics and GNC teams.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
• 8+ years of experience in flight safety systems, flight termination systems, avionics, or GNC for launch vehicles or flight hardware.
• Direct, hands-on experience taking an autonomous flight termination or flight safety system through range certification on a launch vehicle.
• Working knowledge of RCC 319, autonomous flight safety requirements, and FAA Part 450 flight safety system expectations.
• Demonstrated ownership of flight safety analysis: flight abort rules, debris and hazard footprints, and statistical (Monte Carlo) verification.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant engineering field.
• Hands-on experience integrating CASS/AFSS onto vehicle avionics.
• Experience on the Eastern Range (Space Launch Delta 45) specifically.
• Experience bringing a new launch vehicle (rather than an established program) through first flight.
• Familiarity with safety-critical avionics: redundancy architectures, GPS/INS navigation, and independent power and telemetry chains.
• Hands-on qualification test experience for flight electronics (vibration, shock, thermal, EMI).
• Proficiency with scripting (Python/MATLAB) for safety analysis and load-set processing.
• Track record of mentoring engineers and setting technical direction without formal authority.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary range: $157,000 - $206,000 annually. Actual base salary will depend on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office and fully stocked kitchen

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants 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 the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.