Astrodynamics Analyst

Medium; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401k

Job summary

SSI in Chantilly, VA is seeking an Astrodynamics Analyst to serve as the government’s independent evaluator for mission architectures, trajectory design, orbital mechanics, and autonomous guidance systems. You will model high-fidelity maneuvering and orbit determination for satellites in LEO, MEO and GEO, collaborating with top designers and operators.

Responsibilities include developing complex orbital maneuvers, evaluating orbit determination methods, conducting IV&V of vendor models, and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering with 10+ years of experience.
• Active TS/SCI clearance with polygraph.
• Experience in multi-body orbital dynamics and autonomous guidance systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate orbital maneuvering strategies, including multi-satellite rendezvous and launches.
• Model and analyze orbit determination operations using surveillance data.
• Perform independent trade studies and assessments.
• Review and validate metrics and data from external teams.
• Translate findings into clear technical briefings for national decision-makers.

Skills

Astrodynamics

Orbital mechanics

Autonomous GNC

EKF state estimation

Trajectory design

Data analysis

High-level programming

Cislunar orbit

Education

Master’s degree in engineering

Tools

STK

FreeFlyer

MONTAGNE

Copernicus

Job description

SSI is seeking an Astrodynamics Analyst to join our team in Chantilly, VA.

This candidate will serve as the government’s independent evaluator for mission
architectures, trajectory design, orbital mechanics, and autonomous guidance systems. You will conduct high-fidelity modeling of very advanced maneuvering and orbit determination strategies for satellites in Earth orbits, including LEO, MEO, and GEO. You will work on maneuveringand/or orbit determination together with top-level satellite designers and operations planners who will leverage your analyses to inform critical decisions for cutting-edge systems. As part of an agile group including experts in sensing and AI, you will collaboratively simulate integrated operations concepts at scale with support from our cloud computing and supercomputing specialists. Expect regular opportunities to meet with and present findings to local elite government customers.

Role and Responsibilities include:

• Develop and evaluate novel complex orbital maneuvering strategies using high-level programming languages. Analyses will include large orbit changes as well as multi-satellite Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) and launch trajectories.
• Model and analyze associated orbit determination operations using data from our space surveillance sensing experts.
• Conduct independent trade studies and technical assessments.
• Review and validate technical metrics, algorithm descriptions, and data products provided by external teams.
• Successfully drive critical national decisionsby translating complex behaviors and findings into clear, actionable technical briefings and documentation.

Required Qualifications:

• Must possess an active Top Secret/SCI clearance with the ability to obtain a Polygraph.
• Master's degree in engineering and ten (10) or more years of experience.
• Key Technical & Capability Requirements include:
  • Multi-Body Orbital Dynamics: Mastery of non-Keplerian dynamics, N-bodyphysics, Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP), and orbitalpropagation in chaotic gravitational fields.
  • Cislunar Orbit Expertise: Expertise reviewing vendor trajectories for NearRectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHO), Distant Retrograde Orbits (DRO), Halo orbits,and Earth-Moon Lagrange points (L1, L2 ).
  • Transfer Techniques: Technical evaluation of Ballistic Lunar Transfers (BLT),low-energy transfers, weak stability boundary (WSB) trajectories, and spacecraft∆ v budgets.
  • Autonomous GNC & OpNav: Oversight of Guidance, Navigation, and Control algorithms, autonomous Optical Navigation (OpNav), feature tracking, andExtended Kalman Filter (EKF) state estimation without GPS dependency.
  • SETA Oversight Duties: Performs independent verification and validation
    (IV&V) of vendor trajectory modeling (e.g., STK, FreeFlyer, MONTAGNE,
    Copericus) during Preliminary and Critical Design Reviews (PDR/CDR).

$180,000 - $240,000 a year

Target salary range: $180,000 - $240,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors. We offer medical/dental/vision benefits and 401k contribution.