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Radiation Effects Engineer - Modeling

Astranis· Engineering
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San Francisco$120k - $145kFull-timePosted 2w ago

About the role

Radiation Effects Engineer focused on modeling and theory to define spacecraft radiation and charging environments, guiding hardware, mechanical, and systems teams for GEO and space environments.

Responsibilities

  • Own the analytical model of the geostationary (GEO) radiation environment, modeling trapped particle populations (AP8/AP9, AE8/AE9), solar proton fluences (Sapphire), and galactic cosmic rays (CREME96)
  • Perform high-fidelity 3D Monte Carlo and sector-analysis radiation transport simulations using FASTRAD against complex spacecraft CAD assemblies to generate local, component-level dose-depth curves
  • Lead analytical studies on spacecraft charging, including surface charging (using NASCAP-2k or SPIS-SC) and internal charging (using FASTRAD internal charging calculations or SPIS-IC) to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) risks
  • Develop, scale, and maintain Python-based pipelines to process, analyze, and visualize transport simulation datasets, automating the generation of spacecraft-wide dose budgets
  • Translate complex simulation data into actionable engineering guidance for shielding allocation, material selection, and electrical grounding architectures

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent
  • 2+ years of industry experience using radiation environment tools such as OMERE or SPENVIS and transport tools such as FASTRAD, Geant4, or MCNP
  • Solid theoretical foundation in radiation interaction with matter, including ionization, non-ionizing energy loss, charge deposition, and secondary bremsstrahlung generation
  • Experience modeling spacecraft charging physics and electric field buildup in dielectrics
  • Proficiency in Python for mathematical post-processing, data scraping, and modeling automation
  • High-degree of ownership and technical depth; ability to evaluate complex system trade-offs with sparse initial data

Skills

Required:Geostationary radiation environment modelingRadiation transport simulationsSpacecraft charging analysisPython

Benefits

  • All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits.
  • Base pay is USD 120,000—145,000 plus significant equity via incentive stock options, health, disability and life insurance, 401(k), flexible PTO, and on-site meals.
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Astranis

Advanced satellites for high orbits.

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock, and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

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