Software Engineer; Rust

K2 Space is building large, high-powered spacecraft for the next generation of space development. Backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Altimeter Capital, and many others ($200M raised to date), we intend to mass produce the highest‑powered satellite platforms ever built for missions across LEO to Deep Space.

The rise of launch vehicles like Falcon 9 and Starship enables the move from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance. We believe this new era requires spacecraft with a fundamentally different design in order to fully utilize the massive rockets coming to market.

We’re a team that believes the future lies in building large, high-powered satellites that can handle multiple orbits. This is a necessity if we ever want to develop the solar system, and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization.

If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast‑paced environment and you’re excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series B space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

The software team at K2 is building our stack primarily in Rust because we believe modern programming languages should be fun, as well as correct. We see Rust as a key enabling technology that allows us to be more effective as software engineers across the entire stack whether that is contributing to the GNC algorithms, application software on flight computers, embedded software on microcontrollers, and many things in-between.

As a part of the team, you will be responsible for the development and verification of the software used to fly some of the largest spacecraft that have ever been flown. You will be able to write mission‑critical code that controls propulsion systems, attitude control systems, and power systems to ensure safe and reliable operation of the vehicle. In your first 6 months you will develop core pieces of the software architecture including the strategies for fault tolerance, real‑time control, and telemetry downlink.

In your first year you will implement larger software systems and begin verifying your code using both software and hardware in the loop simulators. In your first two years you will operate your code on multiple spacecraft, demonstrating robust performance in demanding missions.

• Create software architecture for real‑time, fault tolerant control of a 20kW+ spacecraft
• Develop software applications for control of spacecraft subsystems, including propulsion, guidance/attitude control, thermal, power, and communications systems
• Design and implement state machines for robust operation of the spacecraft
• Author drivers for microcontroller peripherals and external sensors.
• Create and utilize robust tools to allow for rapid deployment of quality code
• Perform data analysis and anomaly investigation to identify and resolve software bugs
• Support integration and testing of the spacecraft subsystems
• Build and maintain infrastructure to increase reliability when developing and testing software

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, math, or a STEM discipline or 3+ years of professional experience in software engineering
• Development experience in Rust

• Experience with spacecraft flight software development
• Fluency with Linux systems programming and driver development
• Experience with continuous integration and continuous delivery systems
• Experience working with hard real‑time embedded systems (bare‑metal or RTOS)
• Experience authoring  systems in Rust
• Basic knowledge of electronics, computer architecture, and control systems
• Experience developing or working with state machines
• Experience with software verification and testing methods
• Experience with software and network performance analysis and debugging
• Experience working in Rust production environments
• Experience with fault tolerant software design and implementation
• Experience defining and creating test systems for both hardware‑in‑the‑loop and hardware‑out‑of‑the‑loop

• Base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $160,000 + equity in the company
• Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and…