Senior FSO Controls Engineer (PAT & Optics)

Impulse Space; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Impulse Space is seeking a Senior Acquisition, Tracking & Pointing Controls Engineer to lead the pointing and tracking subsystem for our FSO laser communication terminal. You will design algorithms and controls spanning software and hardware, integrating optics, sensors, and control theory.

This on-site role interfaces with optical, photonics, and modem teams to deliver an integrated design and performance that meets sub-µrad pointing stability requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Aerospace Engineering, Controls/Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics or similar field.
• 5+ years of experience working on pointing, tracking, or guidance/control systems (satellite attitude control, gimbal systems, or optical tracking).
• Strong foundation in control theory and signal processing; experience tuning feedback loops for high-precision systems.
• Knowledge of sensor fusion and state estimation.
• Understanding of optical pointing mechanisms, pointing errors, and jitter spectra.
• Experience with hardware like gimbals, FSMs, and precision opto-mechanical actuators.
• Proficiency in programming for algorithm development and real-time implementation.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex hardware/software systems in lab or field.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) architecture for the FSO system to achieve sub-µrad pointing stability; develop pointing budgets.
• Design and implement algorithms to rapidly acquire transmitter and maintain lock.
• Develop the control loops for fast steering mirrors or precision actuators to actively suppress jitter and beam wander; tune controllers to mitigate disturbances.
• Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) Testing: Build a testbed to validate PAT performance, including hardware-in-loop simulations.
• Rapidly prototype algorithms and simulations to flesh out design.
• Support troubleshooting and iteration during optical alignment sessions and system tests.

Skills

Control theory

Signal processing

Sensor fusion

State estimation

Embedded systems

FPGA

Real-time implementation

Gimbals

Fast steering mirrors

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Aerospace Engineering/Controls or Electrical Engineering/Applied Physics

Tools

Gimbals

FSMs (fast steering mirrors)

Job description

Impulse Space is seeking a Senior Acquisition, Tracking & Pointing Controls Engineer to lead the pointing and tracking subsystem for our FSO laser communication terminal. You will design algorithms and controls spanning software and hardware, integrating optics, sensors, and control theory.

This on-site role interfaces with optical, photonics, and modem teams to deliver an integrated design and performance that meets sub-µrad pointing stability requirements.