Guidance, Navigation and Control; GNC) Algorithms Engineer

Astroscale UK (ASUK) is seeking a technically strong Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Engineer to join our UK-based GNC Algorithm and Simulation team, a key part of our Algorithms and Software Group. The successful candidate will play an important role in the design, development, verification and deployment of GNC algorithms and software for our spacecraft systems, working across the full development lifecycle from early concept and algorithm design through simulation, testing, integration and on-orbit operations.

Our mission is to capture and remove uncontrolled space debris, paving the way for innovative technologies that safeguard the long-term sustainability of orbital operations. You’ll contribute directly to this mission by developing the guidance, navigation and control capabilities required for rendezvous and proximity operations, including autonomous navigation, relative pose estimation, guidance, control and the simulation environment required to demonstrate it.

This is an opportunity to work on GNC technologies at the forefront of in-orbit servicing and active debris removal, where the algorithms you develop and the simulations you build will contribute to real spacecraft missions. You will be encouraged to take ownership of challenging technical problems, develop innovative solutions and collaborate with a multidisciplinary, international team to turn advanced GNC concepts into reliable flight-ready systems.

• Design, develop, implement and test GNC algorithms for ASUK missions.
• Design, develop, validate and maintain high-fidelity GNC simulation environments for algorithm development and performance assessment, including spacecraft hardware models and orbital and attitude dynamics.
• Contribute to the design and testing of GNC flight software.
• Support hardware trade-offs analysis, with a particular focus on Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) technologies and their impact on GNC performance.
• Support the integration of GNC software on the ASUK satellite platforms.
• Support system-level activities, including the definition and analysis of FMECA (Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis) and FDIR (Fault Detection, Isolation and Recovery) concepts and processes.
• Support GNC verification and validation activities, including the definition of verification strategies, test plans and procedures, and their execution at subsystem level.
• Collaborate with other engineering disciplines (Systems, CV, Flight Dynamics, etc.) in the planning, design and development of ASUK mission/system to ensure software and hardware performance and compatibility.

• Degree in Aerospace Engineering or other relevant engineering/science discipline.
• Minimum 2 years' industrial experience in GNC algorithm development and deployment.
• Experience in the space industry, with knowledge and practical experience in several of the following areas;
  • GNC algorithm design and development, such as navigation filters, guidance strategies and spacecraft attitude/orbit control.
  • High-fidelity simulation and modelling of spacecraft GNC systems.
  • GNC sensors/actuators modelling.
  • Orbital and attitude dynamics modelling.
  • Simulation and development environments such as MATLAB/Simulink and Python.
  • Software version control and collaborative development using Git.
  • Development, testing and deployment of GNC algorithms into software or flight-software environments.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical thinking, and decision-making abilities.
• Proactive and self-managing.
• Excellent inter-personal skills, willing to collaborate effectively with people in different roles and with different cultural & technical backgrounds.
• Good knowledge of software configuration management.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt to changing project requirements.
• Eligible to gain, or current holder of, UK Security clearance to SC level

• Knowledge and experience of GNC rendezvous and pose estimation sensors and methods
• Good understanding of spacecraft relative dynamics
• Experience with GNC hardware testing
• On-orbit operational experience with satellite missions, including GNC commissioning, in-orbit testing or…