SAGE Payload – Embedded Systems Engineer

The SAGE Mission

SAGE is a student satellite team with the ambitious goal of launching the first Cube Sat carrying human cells. The objective is to investigate how aging occurs differently in space compared to Earth. The team is dedicated to developing and testing a flight-ready spacecraft, learning about aerospace engineering along the way, and ultimately launching their contribution to space!

The SAGE Payload On-Board Computer (POBC) is responsible for maintaining the viability of human cells and conducting scheduled experiments. It operates independently from the main On-Board Computer (OBC), as it must function continuously to keep the cells at a stable temperature of 37°C—before, during, and after launch.

As an Embedded Software Engineer in the payload team, you will:

• Develop and test drivers for experiment components like pumps, valves, heaters, cameras, piezo actuators, and more.
• Implement and verify communication protocols for inter-satellite communication like CAN and SPI.
• Work with Zephyr RTOS, a powerful, flexible and modern real time operation system backed by the Linux Foundation.
• Interface with our testing software written in Python for visualization and control of experiments.

Currently the testing software is being implemented, you will be working together with the other team members on the different parts of the payload electronics. We are looking for a motivated student to speed up the development and enable experiments with living cells as soon as possible. You will get to write code that makes it into the flight software and eventually into space!

• (Basic) knowledge of C
• Embedded systems lecture (microcontroller architecture, peripherals)
• Motivation to learn and work on your own
• Ideal field of study:
  Electrical Engineering, Computer Science
• 5./6. Semester or Masters preferred

Useful but not required:

• Experience with Zephyr
• Already done a project using microcontrollers (Arduino etc.)
• PCB Design (Altium or KiCad)
• Python

Time Commitment: 10-15 hours per week

Team Commitment: at least two semesters

Interested in joining the team? Write an email to (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). including your CV and a short description of your interests, relevant experience, and why you would like to join the team.

Any questions? Reach out to