Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Technical depth
35% weight
Probe depth on CubeSat subsystems: ADCS algorithms, EPS power budgets, S-band or UHF link budgets, radiation-tolerant COTS selection, and CAD or STK and GMAT modelling they personally built.
Evidence to listen for
Explains the physics or mechanism behind their work, not just the tooling
Names the standards, tolerances, and constraints they designed against
Can defend a design decision under follow-up questions
Distinguishes what they personally engineered from what the team delivered
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot explain the fundamentals of their own stated specialism.
2
Needs Improvement
Knows the vocabulary but not the underlying mechanism; struggles under follow-ups.
3
Satisfactory
Solid working knowledge for the role; depth thins out on edge cases.
4
Very Good
Strong command of the domain; explains trade-offs and defends decisions well.
5
Excellent
Quotes their own link and power budget numbers, names bus standards (CubeSat Design Spec, PC/104), and explains subsystem sizing choices.
02
Evaluation factor
Work that shipped
30% weight
Ask which flight units reached orbit or integration: mission name, launch vehicle or deployer, their subsystem ownership, and outcomes after commissioning including anomalies seen on the ground station pass.
Evidence to listen for
Names specific programmes, parts, or systems that reached production or field use
States their own scope inside the project
Can give measured outcomes: yield, cycle time, cost, failure rate
Explains what went wrong and what they changed
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No delivered work; experience is coursework, lab-only, or purely observational.
2
Needs Improvement
Contributed to projects but cannot say what shipped or what their part was.
3
Satisfactory
Has delivered real work; outcomes described without numbers.
4
Very Good
Names shipped work and their scope, with some measured results.
5
Excellent
Names specific flown or delivered spacecraft, their exact scope, and on-orbit telemetry results including what underperformed against prediction.
03
Evaluation factor
Diagnosis under uncertainty
20% weight
Test troubleshooting of thermal vacuum, vibration, and day-in-the-life test failures: how they traced intermittent bus resets, latch-ups, or attitude determination errors with limited telemetry.
Evidence to listen for
Describes a real failure they chased to root cause
Shows a method: isolate variables, reproduce, measure, eliminate
Distinguishes correlation from cause
Says what they ruled out and why, not only what the answer turned out to be
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No diagnostic method; guesses or escalates immediately.
2
Needs Improvement
Trial and error with no structure; cannot explain how they narrowed the cause.
3
Satisfactory
Reasonable method on familiar problems; less structured on novel ones.
4
Very Good
Clear systematic approach with a real root-cause story.
5
Excellent
Walks through an anomaly board style investigation, fault tree, isolation steps, and the design or software fix that closed it.
04
Evaluation factor
Working across the org
15% weight
Assess coordination with launch providers, licensing (FCC or ITU filings, orbital debris plans), payload customers, and AIT technicians under fixed launch manifest deadlines.
Evidence to listen for
Explains technical constraints to non-technical stakeholders without condescension
Has negotiated scope, cost, or timeline with manufacturing, product, or suppliers
Documents decisions so others can act on them
Takes review feedback without defensiveness
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Cannot communicate outside their specialism; dismissive of other functions.
2
Needs Improvement
Communication gaps cause rework; avoids stakeholder contact.
3
Satisfactory
Works adequately with other teams; documentation is thin.
4
Very Good
Communicates clearly across functions; reliable collaborator.
5
Excellent
Describes managing ICDs, regulatory filings, and integration campaigns with providers while keeping schedule and mass margins honest.
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