Space Perception Targeting Engineer — Orbit Vision

Approach Venture LLC; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Approach Venture LLC is seeking a Perception Targeting Engineer to build sensing and targeting software for an orbiting high-energy laser platform. The role focuses on turning sensor data into accurate space-domain awareness and actionable pointing commands.

You will integrate perception, fusion, and control laws on embedded hardware, collaborating with GNC, flight software, and optics teams. Travel is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, EE, Robotics, Aerospace or related field.
• 4+ years building perception, tracking, or targeting systems on real hardware.
• Hands-on experience with object detection, multi-object tracking, and sensor fusion.
• Proficiency in C++ and Python, plus OpenCV, PyTorch, or similar libraries.
• Experience bringing up models on embedded GPUs or AI accelerators, including unfamiliar hardware.
• Comfort owning work end to end on small teams, from algorithm to running hardware.
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident, willing to obtain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Build perception pipelines that detect, track, and characterize objects in orbit from onboard cameras and sensors.
• Fuse camera, LiDAR, and radar data into reliable target state estimates for space domain awareness.
• Develop targeting algorithms and control laws to select aimpoints and command the pointing system.
• Create autonomous path planning that positions the spacecraft relative to targets.
• Deploy and optimize vision and AI models on embedded AI compute hardware for real-time operation.
• Model engagements and sensor performance in STK and custom simulation tools.
• Calibrate sensors and own timing, alignment, and latency budgets across the targeting loop.
• Work with GNC, flight software, and optics engineers to close the loop from sensing to pointing.
• Validate algorithms through simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and ground demonstrations.
• Write production code in C++ and Python.

Skills

Perception pipelines

Sensor fusion

Targeting & control

C++ & Python

OpenCV

PyTorch

Embedded GPUs/ accelerators

Small-team ownership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE/Robotics/Aerospace or related field

Tools

OpenCV

PyTorch

C++

Python

Job description

Approach Venture LLC is seeking a Perception Targeting Engineer to build sensing and targeting software for an orbiting high-energy laser platform. The role focuses on turning sensor data into accurate space-domain awareness and actionable pointing commands.

You will integrate perception, fusion, and control laws on embedded hardware, collaborating with GNC, flight software, and optics teams. Travel is required.