GNC Engineer: Embedded Controls for AI Satellites

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX in Bastrop, TX is seeking an Embedded Controls Engineer for the Starmind program. You will apply dynamics and closed-loop control to achieve precise satellite pointing, involving design trades, simulations, and flight software.

The role includes firmware development in C++, testing, deployment, and collaboration across teams to mature control systems for solar energy satellites powering AI compute for Earth.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in real-time embedded software development.
• Experience with design and analysis of closed loop control systems.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and implement electromechanical control systems such as solar array actuators and gimbals.
• Design, analyze, and implement satellite attitude control and momentum management systems.
• Design, analyze, and implement fluid and power system controls for the Starlink hall thrusters.
• Optimal state estimation as applied to mechanical alignment and attitude determination.
• Hardware performance specification and sizing, support for hardware iteration and firmware bringup, design qualification, automated production screening, and performance monitoring in the fleet.
• Development and maintenance of high fidelity simulations using C++, python, matlab, integration of those simulations into collaborative analysis tools.
• Implementation, validation, unit testing, and deployment of production software (C++) pertinent to the systems described above.
• Provide engineering and data review support for hardware development, network level performance monitoring.

Skills

Closed-loop control design

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace, physics or an engineering discipline

Master's degree or PhD in physics or an engineering discipline

Tools

C++

Python

MATLAB

Job description

SpaceX in Bastrop, TX is seeking an Embedded Controls Engineer for the Starmind program. You will apply dynamics and closed-loop control to achieve precise satellite pointing, involving design trades, simulations, and flight software.

The role includes firmware development in C++, testing, deployment, and collaboration across teams to mature control systems for solar energy satellites powering AI compute for Earth.