Spacecraft Systems Engineer

Astroscale Holdings Inc.; East Hagbourne; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working available

Relocation allowance

Private healthcare

Life insurance

25 days holiday increasing to 28 + 8 B

Job summary

Astroscale Holdings Inc. is seeking a satellite systems engineer to develop mission and system concepts and manage requirements across subsystems. You will perform trade studies, build budgets, and author essential system documents while coordinating across engineering teams in a hybrid working environment.

The role supports validation, tests, and mission operations, with opportunities to contribute to FDIR, FMECA, and fault-tree analyses. Strong communication and MS Office skills are essential.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years’ experience in satellite system engineering.
• Understanding of critical subsystems in a satellite mission.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Experience with requirements derivation, verification and traceability.
• Ability to perform complicated trade-offs.
• Comfortable with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

• Develop spacecraft mission and system designs.
• Support requirements derivation, allocation, verification and traceability activities.
• Perform system-level trade studies using engineering analysis and judgement.
• Generate and maintain spacecraft technical budgets including mass, power, data and propellant.
• Author and maintain system-level documents (CONOPS, V&V plans, DDVPs, ICDs).
• Manage system interfaces and control (space-to-ground / TMTC / ICD ownership).
• Support system validation and spacecraft test-bed activities; provide evidence as needed.
• Contribute to mission-level FDIR, FMECA and fault tree activities.
• Coordinate engineering activities across subsystem teams.
• Perform system-level design assessments to ensure requirement compliance.
• Support spacecraft integration, verification and environmental test campaigns.
• Present analyses and trade results to stakeholders.
• Support bid work, proposal prep and early mission studies.
• Assist with project reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR).
• Support operations during mission-critical phases and in-orbit commissioning.

Skills

Satellite systems engineering

Subsystems knowledge

Communication skills

Requirements derivation

Trade-off analysis

MS Office

Tools

GMAT

Orekit

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Responsibilities

• Development of spacecraft mission and system designs.
• Support requirements derivation, allocation, verification and traceability activities.
• Perform system-level trade studies using engineering analysis and judgement.
• Generate and maintain spacecraft technical budgets including mass, power, data and propellant.
• Authoring and maintaining system level documents including CONOPS, V&V plans, DDVPs, ICDs and other system engineering artefacts.
• System-level interface management and control, including space-to-ground / TMTC / ICD ownership.
• Supporting system validation and spacecraft test-bed activities, including MIB/TMTC/test evidence where relevant.
• Contribute to mission-level FDIR, FMECA and fault tree activities.
• Coordinate engineering activities across subsystem engineering teams.
• Perform system-level design assessments to establish compliance with requirements.
• Support spacecraft integration, verification and environmental test campaigns.
• Present technical analyses and trade results to internal and external stakeholders.
• Support bid work, proposal preparation and early mission studies.

Wider Responsibilities

• Support project reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR and related milestones.
• Assist operations and commissioning teams during mission-critical phases.
• Once a mission is launched you will assist with in-orbit commissioning of satellites and should be ready to support the spacecraft operations team with guidance during critical moments

Essential Skills:

• At least 2 years’ experience in satellite system engineering
• An understanding of all the critical subsystems that make up a satellite mission
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience with requirements derivation, verification and traceability
• Ability to perform complicated trade-offs
• Comfortable working with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Desirable Skills:

• Good understanding of attitude and orbit control subsystem.
• Experience of satellite level AIT
• Exposure to system FFTs, STB, TMTC and MIB activities
• Experience of mission operations
• Experience with GMAT, Orekit
• Python/MATLAB or analysis tooling
• Experience with FMECA, FDIR, fault-tree analysis or reliability engineering
• Experience working on ESA missions

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Opportunity to work with a highly talented, diverse & dynamic international team with cutting edge technology
• Flexible working around core hours in a friendly and supportive environment
• Optional 9/75 working pattern
• Hybrid working available (dependent on individual role requirements)
• 25 days holiday (increasing yearly up to a maximum of 28 days) + 8 days Bank Holiday
• Life insurance and long-term sick pay
• Private healthcare (taxable benefit)
• Relocation allowance
• State of the art office and cleanroom facility
• Regular social events

Location

Astroscale UK (Harwell).

About Astroscale

Founded in 2013, Astroscale is the global leader in on-orbit servicing, dedicated to the secure and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations. We provide trusted and value-added solutions for government and commercial clients from their geography of choice, to drive the long-term, circular space economy. Astroscale is also collaborating with government and commercial stakeholders to develop norms, regulations, and incentives that promote the sustainable growth of space.

Since our first successful launch in March 2021, Astroscale has proven rendezvous and proximity operations technologies in orbit during the ELSA-d and ADRAS-J missions, establishing the company as a leader in on-orbit servicing. Astroscale spacecraft have been selected for pioneering missions with JAXA, the U.S. Space Force, the European Space Agency, the UK Space Agency, and Eutelsat OneWeb. As more satellite operators adopt on-orbit servicing to routinely inspect, service and remove, the potential of a circular space economy — and a future of no waste in space — is being unlocked.

At Astroscale we pride ourselves on our inclusive culture. Our essential criteria are based solely on the requirements necessary to perform the role. If any criteria could present a barrier, we are open to discussing reasonable adjustments and are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process. Astroscale is also open to supporting job share arrangements, to further our flexible working offering.