Mechanical Engineer | Solar Array Deployable Structures

About the company

Cowboy Space is a startup building orbital data-center satellites and an in-house rocket program to launch them.

About this role

MECHANICAL ENGINEER | SOLAR ARRAY DEPLOYABLE STRUCTURES Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure. THE ROLE As a Mechanical Engineer – Solar Array Deployable Structures, you will be the responsible engineer for the large deployable structure that supports and positions our solar array. This is a mechanisms-first, hands-on role: you will architect and own the deployment mechanism along with its actuation, latching, and stowage, and the structural design that makes a very large deployed structure stiff, light, and reliable. You will own this hardware end to end, from concept and analysis through the ground testbeds used to prove it out, qualification, and on-orbit deployment. Deploying a very large structure reliably is the central challenge of the role. You will work closely with structures, manufacturing, GN&C, power, avionics, propulsion, and software teams to deliver an integrated array. We’re looking for a strong deployable-mechanism background paired with solid structural analysis skills—someone who can move quickly, iterate often, and take full ownership of hardware that directly determines whether our spacecraft gets the power it needs on orbit. RESPONSIBILITIES - Own the design of the deployable structure’s mechanism from concept through flight, including actuation, deployment sequencing, latching and locking at full extension, and stowage and launch restraint. - Design and analyze the deployment kinematics, actuation, synchronization, and end-of-travel latching, and quantify deployment reliability, force/torque margin, and jam resistance. - Design mechanism details—bearings, guides, drives, dampers, and release devices—with attention to tribology, space-rated lubrication, and repeatable, low-shock deployment. - Perform structural analysis of the deployed and stowed structure—deployed stiffness and fundamental frequency, buckling and stability, strength, and thermal distortion—and design to meet stiffness and pointing requirements. - Design the interfaces to the solar array and its supporting hardware, balancing structural stiffness against operational loads and dynamics. - Design, build, and operate ground testbeds and dev rigs, including gravity-offload deployment fixtures for a very large structure, to characterize the mechanism, validate deployment, and de-risk the flight design. - Develop and execute deployment, life/cycle, structural static/modal, vibration, thermal-vacuum, and qualification/acceptance test programs to verify flight-worthiness. - Drive design-for-manufacturing of long, precision structural elements—tolerances, straightness, and repeatability—and work with suppliers to ensure high-quality, scalable production. - Author and maintain drawings, interface control documents, analysis reports, test procedures, and release/configuration records. - Diagnose and resolve mechanism and structural anomalies during integration and test, applying root-cause analysis and implementing corrective actions. - Partner with structures, GN&C, power, avionics, propulsion, and software teams to ensure the array integrates seamlessly within the overall spacecraft architecture, including low-frequency flexible-body dynamics. - Embrace a fast-paced development environment, driving quick design cycles, hardware builds, and test campaigns to accelerate the program schedule. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS - BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field - 3+ years of experience designing and analyzing deployable mechanisms and/or precision mechanical hardware in aerospace or other high-performance environments - Strong mechanism fundamentals: kinematics, actuation, springs and stored energy, motors and drives, bearings, latches, tribology, and deployment reliability - Solid structural fundamentals: stiffness, buckling and stability, strength, and structural dynamics of slender or lightweight structures - Hands-on experience building and testing mechanisms, including deployment testing - Experience taking hardware from concept through build and test, with hands-on integration and test experience - Proficiency with CAD (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, or similar) - Experience working in fast-paced, hardware-focused development environments PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Direct experience designing deployable booms, masts, or large deployable structures for solar arrays, antennas, or similar - Experience with composite structures—design, analysis, layup, bonding, and joint design—and composite fabrication and test - Experience with large or flexible-blanket solar arrays, including deployment, tensioning, and stowage - Experience designing and operating gravity-offload or deployment test rigs for large or long structures - Experience designing for space environments (thermal, vibration, vacuum) and background in spacecraft mechanisms, structures, or deployables - Familiarity with structural dynamics of large flexible structures and their interaction with GN&C (low-frequency modes, pointing, jitter) - Experience with space-rated lubrication, tribology, and mechanism qualification - Knowledge of aerospace standards (MIL-SPEC, NASA-STD, ECSS) and spaceflight