Flight Dynamics Engineer, Orbits R&D — Hybrid & Equity

Planet Labs PBC; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 114,200 - 142,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

HSA

PTO

Parental leave

Wellness

EAP

Home Office

Phone & Internet

Tuition reimbursement

LinkedIn Learning

Equity

Commuter Benefits

Volunteering PTO

Job summary

Planet Labs PBC is seeking a Flight Dynamics Engineer to lead mission design, orbit determination, and maneuver planning for the Dove, SkySat, Pelican, and Tanager fleets. You will develop tools to optimize scheduling and execution, and collaborate across flight dynamics, mission planning, and ground software teams.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in Aerospace or Physics, 2–3 years in spaceflight operations, and C++/Python coding.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, physics or related field.
• 2-3 years of relevant work experience.
• Experience in orbital mechanics and space mission operations.
• Software development experience in C++ and Python.
• Ability to carry out first-principles analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Research, design, and architect new software solutions for managing Mission Design needs for Planet's increasingly diverse fleets of satellites.
• Work on complex optimization problems with your knowledge of flight dynamics and software engineering.
• Develop and automate tools to assess mission design trade-offs that will define the future of Planet's constellations.
• Collaborate with mission planning, flight dynamics, and ground software teams to improve the operations of existing fleets and enable future missions.
• Perform first-principles analysis to optimize scheduling of imaging and contacts for Planet's diverse satellite constellations.

Skills

C++

Python

First-principles analysis

Technical communication

Orbital mechanics

Education

Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering or Physics

Job description

Planet Labs PBC is seeking a Flight Dynamics Engineer to lead mission design, orbit determination, and maneuver planning for the Dove, SkySat, Pelican, and Tanager fleets. You will develop tools to optimize scheduling and execution, and collaborate across flight dynamics, mission planning, and ground software teams.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in Aerospace or Physics, 2–3 years in spaceflight operations, and C++/Python coding.