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Spacecraft Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Evaluate spacecraft performance and troubleshoot the operation of all spacecraft subsystems to optimize quality of service and extend spacecraft mission life * Maintain and re-enforce situational ...

Spacecraft Systems Engineer

Chantilly, VA · On-site

$160K - $200K/yr

The Spacecraft Systems Engineer will support a program office for a Major System Acquisition who requires a mid-career engineer with technical expertise in systems engineering who is anxious to grow ...

Spacecraft Engineer II

Cheyenne, WY · On-site

$72K - $103K/yr

Evaluate spacecraft performance and troubleshoot the operation of all spacecraft subsystems to optimize quality of service and extend spacecraft mission life * Maintain and re-enforce situational ...

Spacecraft Engineering Lead

Seattle, WA · On-site

$160K - $224K/yr

With support from spacecraft subsystem, systems, and integration engineers from the Spacecraft Development organization, you will be responsible for delivering a mission specific Blue Ring spacecraft.

Spacecraft Engineering Lead

Seattle, WA · On-site

$169K - $237K/yr

With support from spacecraft subsystem, systems, and integration engineers from the Spacecraft Development organization, you will be responsible for delivering a mission specific Blue Ring spacecraft.

Spacecraft GNC Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$112K - $180K/yr

Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space ...

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Spacecraft information

See salary details

$42K

$108.6K

$165K

How much do spacecraft jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for spacecraft in the United States is $108,638.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $88,500.00 and $132,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Spacecraft vs Satellite?

AspectSpacecraftSatellite
Required credentialsEngineering degrees, specialized training in spacecraft systemsEngineering or science degrees, satellite technology knowledge
Work environmentManufacturing facilities, launch sites, space missionsOrbiting Earth or other celestial bodies, ground stations
Industry usageSpace exploration, research, deep space missionsCommunications, weather monitoring, navigation

Spacecraft and satellites share many skills and credentials, but spacecraft generally refer to vehicles designed for space exploration or research, while satellites are primarily used for communication, navigation, or observation. Both roles involve working in aerospace environments and require specialized technical knowledge.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Spacecraft Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Spacecraft Engineer, you need a strong background in aerospace engineering, physics, and mathematics, typically supported by a relevant engineering degree. Proficiency with CAD software, simulation tools, and knowledge of industry standards like NASA or ESA guidelines are essential. Problem-solving, teamwork, and effective communication are vital soft skills for addressing complex technical challenges and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. These skills and qualities are crucial for designing, building, and maintaining safe and reliable spacecraft that perform critical missions.

What are common challenges faced by engineers working on spacecraft development projects?

Engineers working on spacecraft development often encounter challenges such as strict weight and material constraints, the need for rigorous testing to ensure reliability in harsh space environments, and tight project timelines driven by mission schedules. Collaboration across multidisciplinary teams—such as propulsion, avionics, and structural engineering—is essential to address complex system integration issues. Additionally, adapting to rapid technological advancements and evolving mission requirements can require continuous learning and flexibility.

What are spacecraft?

Spacecraft are vehicles or machines designed to travel in outer space. They can be crewed or uncrewed and are used for a variety of purposes, such as exploration, communication, Earth observation, and scientific research. Spacecraft can operate in Earth's orbit, travel to other planets, or journey beyond our solar system. They play a crucial role in expanding our understanding of space and supporting modern technologies like GPS, weather forecasting, and satellite television.
More about Spacecraft jobs
What cities are hiring for Spacecraft jobs? Cities with the most Spacecraft job openings:
What states have the most Spacecraft jobs? States with the most job openings for Spacecraft jobs include:
Infographic showing various Spacecraft job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 97% Full Time, 1% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 97% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $108,638 per year, or $52.2 per hour.
Spacecraft Engineer II

Spacecraft Engineer II

EchoStar

Cheyenne, WY

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Posted 6 days ago


EchoStar rating

7.1

Company rating: 7.1 out of 10

Based on 74 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

52nd of 80 rated telecommunications companies


Job description

Company Summary

EchoStar is reimagining the future of connectivity. Our business reach spans satellite television service, live-streaming and on-demand programming, smart home installation services, mobile plans and products.
Today, our brands include Boost Mobile, DISH TV, Gen Mobile, Hughes and Sling TV.


Department Summary

Our DISH Technology team challenges the status quo and reimagines capabilities across industries. Whether through research and development, technology innovation or solution engineering, our team members play vital roles in connecting consumers with the products and platforms of tomorrow.


Job Duties and Responsibilities

DISH is looking for a Spacecraft Engineer II who will plan, support, execute, and oversee TT&C and spacecraft subsystem operations, including spacecraft commanding and stationkeeping activities according to scheduled and dynamic operational requirements. Perform trending and analyzing spacecraft health data, prepare reports, and communicate the status of spacecraft, projects, and operational activities to all levels of the organization while focusing on customer service. Conduct and manage activities to increase team and personal job skills and professional knowledge.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Evaluate spacecraft performance and troubleshoot the operation of all spacecraft subsystems to optimize quality of service and extend spacecraft mission life
  • Maintain and re-enforce situational awareness of spacecraft and broadcast operations, company objectives, and advances in the spacecraft and communication industry
  • Provide direction and support to spacecraft controllers during operational activities
  • Perform 24x7 on-call engineering support on a rotating basis; respond to anomalies, provide direction to controllers, and initiate and support anomaly resolution efforts
  • Create, review, manage, evaluate quality, and optimize spacecraft procedures, tools, and processes needed for the safe and efficient execution of operational activities
  • Review, edit, and publish the operations activity schedule
  • Update and review spacecraft status reports
  • Plan and direct complex payload reconfigurations to support broadcast operations
  • Support new spacecraft development efforts
  • Analyze design documentation to verify requirements, participate in ground testing of new spacecraft, and manage in-orbit test and evaluation activities
  • Investigate and analyze long- and short-term spacecraft performance trends
  • Establish standards used for monitoring all spacecraft subsystems
  • Oversee, plan, and execute spacecraft maneuvers and perform maneuver reconstruction, orbit determination, and prepare long-term orbit strategies
  • Direct planning and execution of spacecraft orbital relocation operations, as necessary
  • Research, develop, and present intermediate-level training materials to meet initial or recurring requirements
  • Conceptualize, develop, and review new processes, methods, scripts, and other tools used by both the engineering and operations teams
  • May assist with hiring, onboarding, and mentoring interns or junior-level engineers including guiding and assigning work on occasion
  • Apply experience and professional judgment to evaluate, create, and implement innovative strategies to support dynamic operational needs
  • Organize projects involving multiple subsystems or functional areas
  • Coordinate with external parties

Skills, Experience and Requirements

Education and Experience:

  • Bachelor's degree (B. S.) in engineering, physics, or math from an accredited four-year college or university
  • 3+ years of spacecraft engineering experience working directly with or on a spacecraft 
  • Spacecraft engineering experience with MAXAR FS1300 or Lockheed Martin A2100 spacecraft is highly desired
  • Experience working with Kratos ISI EPOCH TT&C and OASYS, MATLAB, and AGI STK software a plus within satellite industries

 
Skills and Qualifications:

  • Must be a U.S. Person (a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) as the position requires access to U.S. export-restricted materials
  • Able to fulfill a 24x7 on-call rotation and respond onsite within 30 minutes
  • Mathematical Skills—Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability, statistical inference, calculus, differential equations, and fundamentals of plane/solid geometry and trigonometry
  • Uses and applies concepts such as integration, fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to solve problems and reach conclusions
  • Engineering Skills—Ability to apply engineering principles and scientific methods, such as laws of mechanics of particles and solid bodies, and application of these laws to real-world engineering problems
  • Reasoning Skills—Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, apply visual and spatial reasoning, and draw valid engineering conclusions
  • Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables
  • Ability to utilize mathematical and computational tools to solve engineering problems
  • General or specialized knowledge in one or more of the following spacecraft subsystems: Attitude Control, Propulsion, Power, Data Handling/Onboard Processing, Thermal, Mechanisms, TT&C, Payload, Flight Dynamics, and Orbit Mechanics a plus
  • Attentive to details, proactive, and confident personality with good communication skills
  • Able to collaborate in a multi-team environment to plan and accomplish tasks and meet objectives
  • Communication Skills—Ability to understand, analyze, and interpret business periodicals, technical procedures, or government policy
  • Able to write reports, correspondence, and operations procedures
  • Uses effective written, visual presentation, and oral strategies to communicate technical problems and concepts to a range of technical and non-technical audiences

Work Attire: Business casual

Working conditions: The dedicated workspace is adjacent to a 24x7 operations center; typically works M-F during normal business hours, but must be able to support work and on-call duties during off hours, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the needs of a 24x7 operation. Up to 10% travel

Location: This job can be located onsite in either Cheyenne, WY, or Gilbert, AZ

 
Visa sponsorship not available for this role


Salary Ranges
Compensation: $72,400.00/Year - $103,400.00/Year
Benefits

We offer versatile health perks, including flexible spending accounts, HSA, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, career opportunities, and a flexible time away plan; all benefits can be viewed here: EchoStar Benefits.

The base pay range shown is a guideline. Individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, and competencies; compensation is based on the role's location and is subject to change based on work location. 

Candidates need to successfully complete a pre-employment screen, which may include a drug test and DMV check. Our company is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where every individual has the opportunity to succeed. We are dedicated to providing individuals with criminal or arrest records a fair chance of employment in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.

The posting will be active for a minimum of 3 days. The active posting will continue to extend by 3 days until the position is filled.

We pride ourselves on developing and promoting talent as an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. EchoStar will accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs of employees if such accommodations are not undue hardships and are otherwise within the bounds of applicable law. All qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with local, state, and federal law. You may redact any information that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of school/graduation from your application documents before submission and throughout our application process.
EchoStar will provide reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified job applicants and employees with known physical or mental disabilities, unless doing so poses an undue hardship on the Company, poses a direct threat of substantial harm to others, or is otherwise not required by law. EchoStar has a more detailed Accommodation Policy that applies to employees. EchoStar endeavors to make echostar.com and jobs.echostar.com accessible to users. Please contact leaves@dish.com if you would like to discuss the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process. This contact information is for accommodation requests only; do not use this contact information to inquire about the status of applications.
Click the links to access the following statements: EEO Policy Statement, Pay Transparency, EEOC Know Your Rights (English/Spanish)

Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

  • Bachelor's degree (B. S.) in engineering, physics, or math from an accredited four-year college or university
  • 3+ years of spacecraft engineering experience working directly with or on a spacecraft 
  • Spacecraft engineering experience with MAXAR FS1300 or Lockheed Martin A2100 spacecraft is highly desired
  • Experience working with Kratos ISI EPOCH TT&C and OASYS, MATLAB, and AGI STK software a plus within satellite industries

 
Skills and Qualifications:

  • Must be a U.S. Person (a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) as the position requires access to U.S. export-restricted materials
  • Able to fulfill a 24x7 on-call rotation and respond onsite within 30 minutes
  • Mathematical Skills—Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability, statistical inference, calculus, differential equations, and fundamentals of plane/solid geometry and trigonometry
  • Uses and applies concepts such as integration, fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to solve problems and reach conclusions
  • Engineering Skills—Ability to apply engineering principles and scientific methods, such as laws of mechanics of particles and solid bodies, and application of these laws to real-world engineering problems
  • Reasoning Skills—Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, apply visual and spatial reasoning, and draw valid engineering conclusions
  • Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables
  • Ability to utilize mathematical and computational tools to solve engineering problems
  • General or specialized knowledge in one or more of the following spacecraft subsystems: Attitude Control, Propulsion, Power, Data Handling/Onboard Processing, Thermal, Mechanisms, TT&C, Payload, Flight Dynamics, and Orbit Mechanics a plus
  • Attentive to details, proactive, and confident personality with good communication skills
  • Able to collaborate in a multi-team environment to plan and accomplish tasks and meet objectives
  • Communication Skills—Ability to understand, analyze, and interpret business periodicals, technical procedures, or government policy
  • Able to write reports, correspondence, and operations procedures
  • Uses effective written, visual presentation, and oral strategies to communicate technical problems and concepts to a range of technical and non-technical audiences

Work Attire: Business casual

Working conditions: The dedicated workspace is adjacent to a 24x7 operations center; typically works M-F during normal business hours, but must be able to support work and on-call duties during off hours, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the needs of a 24x7 operation. Up to 10% travel

Location: This job can be located onsite in either Cheyenne, WY, or Gilbert, AZ

 
Visa sponsorship not available for this role

Education:UNAVAILABLEEmployment Type: FULL_TIME

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