Mechanical Engineer (Rotary Actuators) - Space Solar Seen this week

About Starpath

Starpath develops and manufactures technologies that enable humans to live on the Moon and Mars. We build robotic systems that locally produce water, power, and oxygen at scale for a lunar civilization.

The Role

The Starlight team focuses on space solar power for Starpath's core mission and the broader space economy. Starlight manufactures low-cost, high-performance space solar arrays that will power new satellites and all equipment on the Moon and Mars.

As a Mechanical Engineer focused on rotary actuators, you will design, analyze, and qualify the rotating mechanisms that deploy and orient Starlight's solar arrays. These include solar array drive assemblies, deployment hinges, latches, and gimbals that must operate flawlessly through launch, deployment, and years of continuous motion in the space environment.

Responsibilities

• Own rotary actuator designs from concept through detailed design, analysis, build, test, and flight including solar array drive assemblies (SADAs), deployment hinges, dampers, latches, and gimbals
• Select and integrate motors, gearheads, bearings, slip rings, and position sensors; size drivetrains for required torque, speed, lifetime, and backlash
• Perform mechanism analysis (torque margin, friction budgets, stiffness, backlash, jitter, and life) and verify performance against requirements through hand calculations and FEA
• Specify lubrication, materials, and surface treatments suited to vacuum, thermal cycling, and radiation; manage tribology and wear over mission life
• Design and execute mechanism qualification and acceptance testing including functional, life, vibration, shock, thermal-vacuum, and torque-margin testing
• Partner closely with electrical, controls, and avionics teams on motor drive electronics, feedback sensing, and closed-loop control of actuators
• Work with manufacturing to design for assembly, alignment, and rate production of precision rotating hardware
• Simplify mechanisms, reduce part count, and eliminate unnecessary complexity

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in mechanical, aerospace, or related engineering discipline
• 1+ years of mechanism, actuator, or precision mechanical design experience (internship and academic experience applicable)
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and ability to produce detailed engineering drawings with GD&T

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in an engineering discipline
• Hands-on experience designing rotary mechanisms (actuators, gearboxes, gimbals, hinges, or drive assemblies) for flight or high-reliability applications
• Proficiency selecting and integrating brushless DC motors, harmonic drives, planetary gearheads, and precision bearings
• Familiarity with space-rated tribology (dry-film and wet lubricants, bearing preload, and life testing under vacuum and thermal cycling)
• Experience with slip rings, twist capsules, or rotary power/signal transfer devices
• Working knowledge of motor drive electronics, encoders/resolvers, and closed-loop position or velocity control
• Experience executing mechanism qualification campaigns (life test, thermal-vacuum, vibration, and shock) and correlating results to analysis
• Familiarity with aerospace mechanism standards and practices (NASA-STD-5017, AIAA mechanisms guidance)
• Exposure to solar array deployment systems, SADAs, antenna pointing mechanisms, or similar spacecraft mechanisms
• Exposure to aerospace, space, or high-reliability hardware environments

Position Details

• Location: Los Angeles (Hawthorne), CA
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Travel: Occasional
• Competitive salary plus equity package; compensation scales with candidate experience
• PTO and health/dental/vision coverage included

Export Compliance

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.