Aerospace Engineer

Peraton is seeking a Spacecraft Systems Engineer to join our team at the White Sands Complex (WSC) in Las Cruces, NM. In this role, you will support the health, safety, and successful operations of the STPSat‑6 spacecraft and its associated ground systems. STPSat‑6 advances U.S. scientific and national security capabilities across Communications, Space Weather, and Situational Awareness mission areas.

Peraton is the prime contractor for NASA at the White Sands Complex (WSC) near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Satellite Operations Center (SSOC) is staffed by the Flight Engineering Team (FET). The FET is made up of members of the WSC Spacecraft Engineering group that supports the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) fleet as well as the STPSat-6 mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Spacecraft Monitoring and Operations

• Perform daily monitoring and trending of STPSat‑6 spacecraft state‑of‑health data.
• Analyze mission partner requests and execute payload commanding.
• Develop and maintain procedures for critical spacecraft activities, including battery management, station‑keeping maneuvers, and momentum unloads.
• Support real‑time mission activities and provide technical assistance during operations.

Anomaly Resolution and Analysis

• Identify spacecraft anomalies, perform root‑cause analysis, and develop and execute recovery plans.
• Coordinate and participate in activities related to investigating and resolving spacecraft, ground system, or mission partner concerns.
• Conduct experimental or operational simulations to assess behavior, validate procedures, or support mission planning.

Testing, Validation, and Automation

• Plan, coordinate, direct, and evaluate testing of aerospace systems and related ground equipment.
  
• Work with internal resources and mission partners to develop test plans and ensure issues are properly assessed, resolved, and regressed.
  
• Create scripts or automation tools to support recurring or data‑intensive tasks.

Ground System Support

• Monitor and maintain associated ground equipment and coordinate maintenance activities.
  
• Conduct risk assessments of aerospace systems and develop risk mitigation strategies.

Team and Organizational Support

• Provide on‑the‑job training to peers as experience is gained.
• Support additional duties as assigned.
• Occasional night or weekend work may be required during critical activities or anomaly recovery operations.

#HIRE4SENSE

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, plus 2+ years of relevant experience.
• Security clearance - this position requires the candidate to be able to obrain a SECRET security clearance and to maintain the clearance thereafter. 
• Experience working with Windows and Linux systems.
• You must be a US Citizen and show proof of citizenship.
• Must be able to maintain ability to access government worksite.
• Experience with Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Desired Qualifications

• Active Secret security clearance.
• Master’s degree in a relevant engineering or scientific field.
• Proficiency with tools such as Systems Tool Kit (STK), FreeFlyer, MATLAB, Python,
• Experience with virtual machine environments and hypervisor management (ESXi and/or Hyper‑V).
• Prior spacecraft operations or system test experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with peers, management, and mission partners.