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GNC Engineer, ADCS (Starlink)

SpaceX· Starlink Constellation Engineering
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Redmond, WA$125k - $165kFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

GNC Engineer responsible for guidance, navigation, and control systems for Starlink satellites, focusing on attitude determination and control (ADCS) to ensure proper orientation throughout mission lifetime.

Responsibilities

  • Develop highly reliable and performant GNC algorithms, simulations, tools, services, and dashboards using C++ or Python; production code, not just prototypes
  • Participate in architecture, design, and code reviews
  • Bulk data analysis to review performance data from Starlink constellation and network
  • Write high quality technical documentation of programs, algorithms, or analysis
  • Design and implementation of GNC software for all mission concepts and phases, including off-nominal/contingency scenarios
  • Design concepts of operations (CONOPs) balancing thermal constraints, power budgets, momentum management, communications, and payload-pointing needs
  • Develop, validate, and flight software implementation of onboard GNC algorithms for autonomy and fault tolerance with translational and rotational control
  • Maintain GNC software configurations across minor vehicle design revisions and mission sets
  • High fidelity 6DOF modeling and simulation of vehicle dynamics, sensors, actuators, algorithms, and interactions
  • Monte Carlo simulation analyses to validate safe flight and quantify navigation/control performance
  • Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing involvement, including test case design, data review automation, and fidelity improvements
  • Translational and Rotational state estimation and control systems design and optimization
  • Vehicle design activities related to ADCS sensor and actuator hardware sizing and layout
  • Develop, validate, and improve sensor, actuator, and dynamics models for 6DOF simulation
  • Maintain interfaces with thermal, power, and communications to ensure system-level design consistency
  • Support on-call operations rotation, commanding satellites or reviewing network data to maintain peak performance

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, aerospace, physics or an engineering discipline
  • Software development experience in C++ or Python

Skills

Required:GNC algorithm developmentC++Python
Nice to have:State estimation and attitude determination

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
  • 401(k) retirement plan
  • Short and long-term disability insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid parental leave
  • Paid vacation (3 weeks)
  • 10+ paid holidays per year
  • Shuttles from select Seattle locations to SpaceX Redmond office (Monday to Friday)
Last updated Sep 2, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

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