Senior Space GNC Engineer — Autonomy & Flight Controls

Varda Space Industries, Inc.; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 169,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda Space Industries, Inc. is seeking a Senior Space Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GNC) Engineer in El Segundo, CA.

You will own the full life cycle of GNC development from design to flight testing, performing system analyses, simulations, and Monte Carlo studies to drive architectural decisions and ensure mission success. You will contribute to our in-house aerospace simulation framework and ensure end-to-end GNC execution from initial analysis through vehicle integration and mission

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience, or PhD with 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge in designing, modeling, testing, and flying aerospace guidance, navigation, and control systems.
• Highly adept software and model development skills, particularly in C++/Python.
• Understanding of orbital mechanics, modeling and simulation, and software development.
• Experience anchoring/fitting first principles models to test data or high-fidelity external simulations.
• Proven system engineering and configuration management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• ADCS hardware performance specification including sizing of reaction wheels, torque rods, IMU/GPS, and star trackers.
• Design and implementation of autonomous satellite attitude control, collision avoidance, orbital rendezvous, burn planning and atmospheric re-entry algorithms.
• Perform trajectory design, optimization, and dispersion analysis for the reentry of a space capsule.
• Develop 6 degree of freedom vehicle simulation using C++, Python and MATLAB/Simulink.
• Running Monte Carlo analysis to characterize performance of new vehicle and mission capabilities.
• Integration and testing of GNC sensors, actuators, and software in hardware-in-the-loop environment.
• Design and implementation of ground tooling necessary to facilitate fully automated maneuver responsibility and maneuver scheduling decisions.
• Monitoring on-orbit system performance; troubleshooting where necessary.
• Coordination with other spacecraft operators, 3rd party agencies, and the US government.

Skills

C++/Python

GNC design and analysis

Orbital mechanics

Modeling and simulation

Education

B.S. degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, or related field

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

GMAT

POST2

Job description

Varda Space Industries, Inc. is seeking a Senior Space Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GNC) Engineer in El Segundo, CA.

You will own the full life cycle of GNC development from design to flight testing, performing system analyses, simulations, and Monte Carlo studies to drive architectural decisions and ensure mission success. You will contribute to our in-house aerospace simulation framework and ensure end-to-end GNC execution from initial analysis through vehicle integration and mission