Company Overview

Fortastra designs and delivers resilient, high-performance spacecraft that safeguard critical orbital assets and ensure freedom of action in space. We integrate advanced autonomy, sensing, and control into systems engineered for reliability, speed, and scale.

Our culture values simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution. We expect leaders to think systemically, act decisively, and take ownership of mission outcomes. Aggressive innovation. Disciplined execution. Strength among the stars.

We recently closed a $30M Series A to build the future of on-orbit security and we’re just getting started!

Our Engineering Team

You’ll join Fortastra’s Engineering Division. The mechanical engineering team is responsible for the physical realization of our spacecraft: structures, mechanisms, packaging, and integration that enable reliable, repeatable builds and rapid iteration across vehicles.

The Role

Fortastra is seeking a Sr. Mechanical Engineer focused on battery and solar integration to own the mechanical design, packaging, and integration of power subsystems on our spacecraft. You will be responsible for how batteries, solar arrays, and associated hardware are mechanically realized on the vehicle, including mounting, thermal and structural considerations, deployment interfaces, and harness routing.

This role is ideal for a mechanically strong engineer who wants to specialize in power-related hardware while still working across the full vehicle. You will collaborate closely with power electronics, avionics, thermal, and structures teams to ensure that power subsystems are robust, maintainable, and flight-ready.

Key Responsibilities

Design mechanical integration for spacecraft batteries, solar panels or arrays, and supporting structures and mechanisms.
Own CAD models for battery modules, solar panel assemblies, mounting brackets, deployment linkages, and related hardware.
Work with power and avionics engineers to define mechanical interfaces, connector placements, and harness routing strategies that minimize risk and simplify integration.
Account for thermal, structural, and vibration requirements in the mechanical design of power subsystems, coordinating with thermal and structural analysts as needed.
Generate and release detailed drawings, BOMs, and documentation for battery and solar mechanical hardware with disciplined revision control.
Support trades on panel and battery placement, packaging efficiency, access for integration and test, and maintainability on the vehicle.
Collaborate with manufacturing and integration teams to ensure designs are buildable, testable, and serviceable, and support floor activities such as installation procedures and fit checks.
Identify and resolve mechanical issues related to cable routing, clearances, and interactions between power subsystems and other spacecraft hardware.

Qualifications and Skills

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
5+ years of experience in mechanical design for spacecraft, robotics, automotive, energy storage, or other high-reliability systems.
Proficiency with 3D CAD tools (NX, Creo, SolidWorks, or equivalent), including part and assembly modeling.
Experience designing mounting hardware, enclosures, or structural components for electronic or power hardware such as batteries or power electronics.
Basic understanding of structural and thermal considerations for battery and solar integration, and willingness to work with specialists in those disciplines.
Experience creating engineering drawings, applying tolerances, and working within a revision-controlled environment.
Familiarity with mechanical design around cable routing, connectors, and minimizing mechanical-electrical interference is a plus.
Experience in domains such as spacecraft, EVs, robotics, or renewable energy systems is beneficial.

Requirements

5 days on-site in Torrance, CA
U.S. Citizenship required

Why Fortastra

We are a small, high-impact team building the next generation of autonomous orbital control systems for national security space. At Fortastra, leaders own outcomes from first principles through flight and directly shape the future of resilient, mission-critical spacecraft autonomy.