Spacecraft GNC Engineer: Autonomy & Flight Testing

Telemetry Today LLC; El Segundo, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Equity incentives

Stock options

401(k) matching

Comprehensive health plan

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer to own the full life cycle of GNC development—from design through to unit, hardware-in-the-loop, on-vehicle functionality, and flight testing.

You will perform system analyses, including simulations and Monte Carlo, to satisfy specifications and requirements and to drive system-level architectural decisions.

Qualifications

• B.S. in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics, or related field.
• 1–3 proven years of experience, or PhD with 1+ years of relevant experience
• Strong knowledge of 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

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

GNC design and analysis

C++/Python

Orbital mechanics

System engineering

Education

BS in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, physics or related field

MS degree preferred

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Python

C++

Job description

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer to own the full life cycle of GNC development—from design through to unit, hardware-in-the-loop, on-vehicle functionality, and flight testing.

You will perform system analyses, including simulations and Monte Carlo, to satisfy specifications and requirements and to drive system-level architectural decisions.