Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) Engineer

Overview

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 Role

As a GNC engineer, you will be a core driver of the overall spacecraft GNC architecture. You will execute detailed trade studies to find new and novel ways to implement the spacecraft's guidance, attitude control, and attitude and orbit estimation systems. In the first 3 months, you will support the development of the control infrastructure, from discrete filter design in the time domain to thorough analysis in the frequency domain. Additionally, you will support the development of autonomous orbit raise for a vehicle to MEO and the associated navigation to support an autonomous orbit raise. In the first 6 months, you will own and execute the Verification and Validation plan for the GNC stack, driving the system to flight readiness via a robust and thorough analysis of vehicle performance in both nominal and off nominal environments. This push for flight readiness will motivate thorough analysis, leading to updates to both the GNC stack and the K2 6-DOF simulation. The expectation is that all GNC team members commit code to the 6-DOF sim as well as owning a portion of the GNC flight software.

In the first year, you will support launch and on orbit operations of the first full demonstration of the K2 spacecraft bus – the Mega. In parallel, you will support the block 2 upgrades of the GNC stack and 6-DOF sim, taking lessons learned from on orbit operations to increase the fidelity of the simulation and the vehicle performance of the GNC stack.

Responsibilities

Work with other engineering leads to develop and validate a novel high level vehicle architecture

Develop novel algorithms for precise pointing of very large, flexible structures in earth orbit and beyond

Develop novel slewing algorithms of very large, flexible structures in earth orbit and beyond

Develop simulation and modeling tools to support vehicle and GNC trade studies. This includes mission design, controls analysis, and 6-DOF simulation development.

Contribute to building the GNC organization by recruiting, hiring, and mentoring other engineers

Qualifications

Experience with GNC actuator or sensor sizing, selection, and system design

Experience with implementing attitude control and / or estimation algorithms on spacecraft

Experience with verification and validation of GNC flight software in an integrated environment, leveraging 6-DOF simulation and HITL testing.

Experience with Python, Julia, C / C++, or Matlab for algorithm development, implementation, and simulation

Nice to Have

Experience with early-stage spacecraft conceptual design, i.e. "clean sheet" design work

Experience with control algorithm development

Experience with reaction wheel, control moment gyroscope, or thruster sizing and algorithm implementation

Experience with navigation, specifically Extended Kalman Filters

Experience with trajectory analysis, modeling, and mission design

Experience with Rust software development

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary range for this role is $150,000 - $175,000 + equity in the company

Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to : knowledge and skills, education, and experience level

Comprehensive benefits package including unlimited paid time off, medical / dental / vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

If you don't meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

Export Compliance

As defined in the ITAR, "U.S. Persons" include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees / asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a "U.S. Person."

The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a "U.S. person" as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

Equal Opportunity

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin / ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

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