GNC Orbit Control Engineer

SpaceX; Union Hill-Novelty Hill (WA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Company shuttle

Health benefits

401(k)

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a GNC Engineer, Orbit Control for Starlink to develop trajectory control algorithms and validate them through simulations and on‑orbit experiments. The role focuses on planning thousands of maneuvers to keep 10k+ satellites in the correct configurations, ensuring mission success and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities include implementing closed‑loop control, contributing to architecture and code reviews, and delivering production‑quality software that runs on satellites

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in applicable engineering discipline, physics, math, or computer science.
• Strong fundamental understanding of dynamical systems.
• Software development experience in C++ and Python.

Responsibilities

• Develop closed‑loop trajectory control algorithms for orbital maneuvers across mission phases.
• Identify features to improve control performance and resilience.
• Conduct simulation studies and on‑orbit experiments to assess changes.
• Support development of new satellite generations via trade studies.
• Work on large‑scale constellation maneuvers and optimization.
• Write production code in C++ and Python for satellites and ground segment.
• Participate in architecture, design, and code reviews.
• Develop performance metrics and dashboards to monitor the fleet.
• Document algorithms and analyses clearly.
• Participate in operation of the satellite fleet.

Skills

C++

Python

Dynamical systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in applicable engineering discipline, physics, math, or computer science

Master's degree or PhD in a relevant field

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a GNC Engineer, Orbit Control for Starlink to develop trajectory control algorithms and validate them through simulations and on‑orbit experiments. The role focuses on planning thousands of maneuvers to keep 10k+ satellites in the correct configurations, ensuring mission success and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities include implementing closed‑loop control, contributing to architecture and code reviews, and delivering production‑quality software that runs on satellites