Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) Design Engineer – Lunar Permanence
Core
Define RPOD operations concepts, requirements, and verification campaigns for Blue Moon landers to enable safe crew and cargo transport to the lunar surface.
Role type
Senior IC spacecraft design engineer (RPOD/GN&C)
Builds
Blue Moon landers and related lunar transport systems
Domain
Aerospace / Spaceflight / Lunar Exploration
Required skills
RPOD system design, guidance navigation and control (GN&C), astrodynamics, relative motion dynamics, Kalman filtering, computer vision, C++ or Rust embedded software, mathematical modeling, simulation, trajectory analysis, requirements definition, V&V planning
Preferred skills
M.S./PhD, 10+ years RPOD lifecycle experience, relative navigation systems, Terrain Relative Optical Navigation, Vision Based Navigation, optical sensors in space, avionics integration, NASA NPR 7150.2D or FAA DO-178C standards, Trick/JEOD/cFS tools, hardware-in-the-loop testing
Technologies
C++, Rust, Trick, JEOD, cFS, Kalman Filter, Computer Vision, GN&C, Simulation
Responsibilities
Perform trajectory and safety corridor analyses for RPOD operations; coordinate RPOD concepts of operations for multiple missions; decompose functional requirements across GN&C, mechanical, and communication systems; support relative navigation sensor hardware/software design; formulate navigation estimation and maneuver guidance techniques; define data, optical, and mechanical interfaces; lead RPOD V&V activities including flight demonstrations; develop fault detection hardware/software; create analysis tools and models; integrate and test navigation/computer vision software; analyze ground and flight test data; develop automation tooling for team efficiency
Seniority
Senior, hands-on IC
