Principal Guidance, Navigation, and Controls Engineer
Core
Own the full life cycle of Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GNC) development for in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reentry capsules, from design through flight testing.
Role type
Principal GNC Engineer (Aerospace)
Builds
W-Series vehicles, C-PICA heat shields, satellite buses, and pharmaceutical processing payloads for in-space manufacturing.
Domain
Commercial space infrastructure, orbital mechanics, aerospace systems
Deliverable
production ML models | product features | dashboards & analysis | research | client delivery | infrastructure | physical/clinical work
Required skills
GNC system design, orbital mechanics, Monte Carlo analysis, trajectory optimization, C++, Python, hardware-in-the-loop testing, system engineering, configuration management
Preferred skills
Spacecraft attitude determination and control system design, GMAT/POST2, Matlab/Simulink, multi-body dynamics, flexible body dynamics, safety critical flight test support
Technologies
C++, Python, GMAT, POST2, Matlab, Simulink
Responsibilities
Design and implement autonomous satellite attitude control, collision avoidance, orbital rendezvous, burn planning, and atmospheric re-entry algorithms; Perform trajectory design, optimization, and dispersion analysis for space capsule reentry; Develop 6 degree of freedom vehicle simulation; Integration and testing of GNC sensors, actuators, and software in hardware-in-the-loop environment; Monitoring on-orbit system performance and troubleshooting; Coordination with spacecraft operators, 3rd party agencies, and the US government
Seniority
Principal, hands-on IC with strategic oversight