---
title: 'Recent Graduate - Mechanical Engineer at Katalyst Space Technologies'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/recent-graduate-mechanical-engineer-katalyst-space-technologies-broomfield-rbm77zd635nb'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-12'
---

# Recent Graduate - Mechanical Engineer at Katalyst Space Technologies

- **Company:** Katalyst Space Technologies
- **Location:** Broomfield Colorado, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-08-31
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/katalyst/jobs/6176605004

## Job description

Katalyst Description:

Katalyst is an American technology company focused on dynamic space operations.  We are building a fleet of dual-use multipurpose robotic space vehicles to create the future where maneuvering, upgrading, refueling, resupply and exploration are as routine as they are on Earth. Getting to space and overcoming the gravity well is only half the story. What you do there is the future. We are not building the trains. We are building the machines that lay down the tracks. By developing the foundational capabilities that make sustained, responsive operations possible, we enable a new era of space exploration that strengthens national security and ensures freedom of action in an increasingly contested domain.

Katalyst Culture:

Working at Katalyst is intense, hands-on, and deeply rewarding. You’ll take real ownership and see your work move from concept to operations in an environment where the problems are hard and the impact is real. We value humility, craftsmanship, and doing things the right way, even when it’s harder. You’ll work closely with thoughtful, driven teammates who push each other to do their best.

What You’ll Do

- Contribute directly to the design, analysis, development, manufacturing, integration, test, and operation of spacecraft mechanical systems, structures, mechanisms, and flight hardware.
- Own well-scoped mechanical engineering problems from requirements and concept development through CAD, analysis, drawing release, fabrication, integration, test, documentation, and closure with support from senior engineers.
- Work hands-on with CAD, drawings, analysis tools, prototypes, flight hardware, fixtures, test equipment, manufacturing processes, inspection data, and integration activities rather than operating only at the analysis or documentation layer.
- Participate in design reviews, hardware builds, integration activities, test campaigns, anomaly investigations, and mission-readiness activities; communicate mechanical performance, risks, assumptions, and decisions clearly.
- Collaborate across avionics, GNC, propulsion, software, systems, manufacturing, and mission operations to understand mechanical interfaces and system-level impacts on spacecraft performance.
- Build engineering judgment by comparing calculations and structural, thermal, or mechanism analyses against inspection, test, and hardware data, identifying discrepancies, and iterating toward reliable flight hardware.
- Document requirements, assumptions, interfaces, calculations, CAD, drawings, tolerances, analyses, test results, procedures, and technical decisions so others can review, reproduce, manufacture, and integrate the work.
- Take increasing ownership as technical capability grows, progressing from supervised design and analysis tasks toward independent part-, assembly-, mechanism-, or subsystem-level responsibility.
- Support spacecraft mission execution by helping translate mission objectives and constraints into credible mechanical designs, analyses, hardware, integration plans, test approaches, and operational recommendations.

What We’re Looking For

Required

- Bachelor's degree completed, or expected before start date, in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or a closely related technical field.
- Strong academic or project-based grounding in mechanics, statics and dynamics, structures, materials, machine design, heat transfer, manufacturing, or related mechanical engineering fundamentals, with the ability to explain technical reasoning from first principles.
- Demonstrated hands-on mechanical engineering experience through internships, research, student spacecraft or robotics teams, capstone projects, personal projects, laboratories, machine-shop work, or prior employment.
- Ability to break down ambiguous mechanical problems, identify assumptions and loads, build appropriate models, make reasonable design tradeoffs, and validate work through analysis, inspection, prototype, test, or data.
- Clear written and verbal technical communication, including the ability to explain what was personally designed, modeled, analyzed, built, integrated, tested, or debugged versus what was completed by a team.
- Comfort learning new spacecraft hardware, materials, mechanisms, manufacturing methods, analysis tools, and mission concepts quickly in an environment where responsibilities may evolve with program needs.
- Ability to collaborate closely with avionics, GNC, propulsion, software, systems, manufacturing, and mission-operations engineers and accept direct technical feedback without losing ownership of the problem.
- Ability to comply with applicable export-control requirements and customer-access restrictions.

## Your Ideal Background

## Preferred

- Internship, research, co-op, or project experience in spacecraft, aerospace, robotics, mechanisms, structures, manufacturing, defense technology, high-reliability hardware, or another mechanically demanding environment.
- Experience taking a mechanical component, assembly, mechanism, or structure from concept and design into fabrication, integration, or test and using the results to drive changes.
- Exposure to CAD, mechanisms, structures, thermal or structural analysis, materials, manufacturing, GD&T, tolerance analysis, test fixtures, hardware integration, or mechanical testing.
- Additional Requirements: Must be willing to work hands-on in the office, lab, integration, or test environment as required and to support occasional extended hours during critical test or mission activities.

Compensation and Benefits: Your base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The anticipated salary range for this role is $80,000 - $105,000 annually.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off.

At Katalyst our work on projects involving the U.S. Department of Defense requires adherence to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130, which requires compliance with U.S. export laws before allowing employees to perform certain positions. Currently, our available roles necessitate access to ITAR-controlled information, and as a result, Katalyst would have to ensure any non-US person is authorized access to ITAR information before the commencement of employment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

## About Katalyst Space Technologies

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Katalyst Space Technologies builds robotic spacecraft and modular payloads for in‑orbit servicing, satellite upgrades, and space domain awareness.
- **Entity Type**: Private (raised $12M in June 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Flagstaff, Arizona, United States (additional offices in Broomfield, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.)
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Ghonhee Lee, Nicholas Liapis, Kaleb Beebout, Vanessa Clark (joined via acquisition of Atomos Space)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: In‑orbit servicing & assembly, space transportation & logistics, space domain awareness.
- **Target customers**: Government agencies, defense organizations, commercial satellite operators (MEO, GEO, XGEO / Cislunar markets).
- **Mission**: To make in‑space operations routine and break the long cycle times, rigid architectures, and inflexibility that dominate the satellite industry.

## Products & Services
- **NEXUS**: A multi‑mission robotic spacecraft with a patented Split Stewart Platform for grappling, docking, and servicing spacecraft not originally designed for docking. Includes full sensor suite for rendezvous and proximity operations, large solar arrays, and enough delta‑V to reach the Moon and back without refueling.
- **SIGHT**: Real‑time space domain awareness (SDA) system for orbital hazard identification, collision avoidance, and independent power, comms, and data processing.
- **SHIELD**: Defensive counterspace capability for anomaly inspection, close‑range imaging, and defensive maneuvers.
- **Hardware Payload Bays**: Two payload bays for transporting and installing mission hardware upgrades on unprepared satellites.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of $12M (June 2026), including a seed round of $880,635 (May 2024)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly listed; acquired Atomos Space (April 2025) and Atomos Nuclear and Space Corporation.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 111% YoY to ~49 employees; opened offices in Broomfield, CO and Washington, D.C.; Katalyst’s LINK robotic spacecraft integrated with Pegasus XL and ready for launch (June 2026); NEXUS passed a key testing milestone ahead of a first‑of‑its‑kind GEO servicing demo mission (May 2026).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Patented Split Stewart Platform** – a lighter, stiffer robotic arm system that can grapple a wide range of structures, including satellites not designed for docking.
- **Full‑stack validation** – tests sensors, software, actuators, propulsion, and robotics at a state‑of‑the‑art testbed, not just simulation.
- **Ability to upgrade unprepared satellites** – delivers hardware on mission‑relevant timelines, bypassing 10+ year design cycles.
- **High delta‑V propulsion** – enables LEO‑to‑Moon round trips without refueling.

## Strategic Focus
- First‑of‑its‑kind GEO servicing demonstration mission for 2026–2027.
- Scaling the NEXUS spacecraft platform across multiple mission types (servicing, refueling, inspection, defense).
- Deepening government and defense partnerships for space domain awareness and counterspace capabilities.
- Expanding the team (13 active job postings) and operational footprint to support growing mission cadence.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Demanding, fast‑moving, hands‑on environment where employees own real problems from concept through flight. Emphasizes craftsmanship, humility, and doing things right even when difficult.
- **Work model**: Likely on‑site at one of three offices (Flagstaff, Broomfield, Washington D.C.); some roles may offer hybrid flexibility.
- **Benefits**: Competitive compensation plus equity, medical/dental/vision insurance, flexible time off, meaningful ownership from day one.
- **Engineering culture**: Deep focus on spacecraft design, GNC, flight software, and robotics; heavy background from Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Atomos Space, and Amazon. Active recruiting for senior and principal engineers.

## Sources
1. [katalystspace.com](https://www.katalystspace.com/)
2. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/katalyst-space)
3. [spaceindex.io](https://spaceindex.io/companies/katalyst-space-technologies)
4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/katalyst)

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