Satellite Laser Ranging Engineer for Real-Time Space Tracking

Foundational; London; On-site; NOK 888,000 - 1,396,000; Full time

Job summary

Foundational is seeking a core expert in optical tracking to own the full lifecycle of SLR and SDLR systems. You will bridge optical design, hardware integration, and software algorithms to close the link budget and improve ranging precision.

You will lead system modelling, R&D of new architectures, and advanced data processing, with responsibility for deployment, validation, and laser safety oversight in a startup environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience designing, building, or operating SLR/OGS or atmospheric LiDAR systems.
• Strong understanding of laser propagation through turbulent media and link budgets.
• Experience with LiDAR/SLR signal processing techniques and timing hardware.
• Hands-on experience with high-precision timing (Event Timers, GNSS, PTP/NTP).
• Proficiency in Python for instrument control and data analysis; Linux is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• System modelling and simulation for SLR/SDLR performance including radiometric budgets and detector probability of detection.
• R&D of new laser ranging architectures and integration of components.
• Develop algorithms to process raw time-of-flight data and refine orbital determination.

Skills

SLR/SDLR expertise

Atmospheric physics

Signal processing

Timing systems

Python

Linux

Autonomy in startups

Tools

Zemax

Code V

FPGA programming

Job description

Foundational is seeking a core expert in optical tracking to own the full lifecycle of SLR and SDLR systems. You will bridge optical design, hardware integration, and software algorithms to close the link budget and improve ranging precision.

You will lead system modelling, R&D of new architectures, and advanced data processing, with responsibility for deployment, validation, and laser safety oversight in a startup environment.