GNC Orbit Controls Engineer

GNC Orbit Controls Engineer

We're looking for a GNC Orbit Controls Engineer to design and implement the algorithms and onboard software that handle orbit determination, guidance, maneuver execution, and post‑maneuver analysis to deliver safe, efficient, and highly automated station‑keeping and disposal. We’re building the software that keeps our spacecraft exactly where they need to be.

• Develop open‑loop and closed‑loop controllers for RAAN and LTAN control, altitude management, station‑keeping, and end‑of‑life disposal.
• Implement and maintain onboard orbit propagators, select and validate integrators, and ensure numerical consistency with ground truth.
• Build and validate orbit determination pipelines using EKF or UKF with GNSS, and manage navigation readiness and covariance gating for maneuver.
• Design burns and long‑arc trajectories, and optimize ΔV and timelines under comm visibility, power and thermal, and operations constraints.
• Plan and execute electric‑propulsion long burns, including throttle profile generation, power and duty‑cycle scheduling, thermal considerations, ignition and re‑ignition logic, progress monitoring, and correction strategies.
• Coordinate burn pointing and wheel momentum strategy with ADC.
• Maintain numerically consistent MATLAB and C++ simulators, create Monte‑Carlo campaigns, run SIL and HIL tests, and perform post‑maneuver reconstruction.

• Strong in orbital mechanics and simulation, and have implemented onboard propagators with perturbation models and integrators on flight targets.
• Built production guidance, control, or navigation software in C and C++, using MATLAB and Simulink for analysis, modeling, and test‑vector generation.
• Designed RAAN and LTAN control strategies in open‑loop and closed‑loop forms, and validated them in high‑fidelity simulations or flight.
• Executed or supported real maneuvers and can reconcile plan versus truth with post‑burn estimation.
• Comfortable at the ADCS and propulsion interface for burn pointing and momentum management.

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Control Systems, Applied Physics, or related field.
• Hands‑on electric propulsion experience including thrust modeling and calibration, long‑burn guidance, duty‑cycle planning, and thermal constraints.
• Experience with orbit propagation algorithms.
• Trajectory design and optimization expertise.
• Emphasis on code quality and reliability with unit and integration testing, SIL and HIL, and experience on embedded RTOS or embedded Linux targets.
• Familiarity with CCSDS ephemeris and attitude formatting.

• Mid‑Senior level

• Full‑time

• Defense and Space Manufacturing