Navigation, Guidance & Control - RPO Engineer V

Responsibilities

Rendezvous & Proximity Operations (RPO) Algorithm Leadership: Own and evolve the relative-navigation, guidance, and control algorithm architecture for autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking with a cooperative target, integrated into OSS's in-house GN&C software framework.

Design and implement relative-navigation filters (EKF/UKF), sensor fusion, and relative orbit determination using the RPO sensor suite — vision-based pose estimation, LIDAR, and/or relative GNSS — for a cooperative, fiducial-equipped target.

Develop rendezvous and proximity-operations guidance: V-bar/R-bar and glideslope approaches, station-keeping, controlled fly-around and inspection, and safe-hold points.

Design the safety-critical trajectory logic: approach corridors, keep-out spheres/ellipsoids, passive-abort trajectories, and autonomous collision-avoidance maneuvers.

Develop 6-DOF relative guidance and control through final approach, docking, and capture, including control allocation across the thruster and actuator set.

Model relative orbital dynamics (Clohessy-Wiltshire/Hill, and eccentric formulations such as Tschauner-Hempel as needed) to anchor algorithm design and analysis.

Define and lead the GN&C V&V strategy: 6-DOF closed-loop simulation, Monte Carlo dispersion analysis, and processor- and hardware-in-the-loop (PIL/HIL) testing.

Support proximity-operations validation on dynamic testbeds (e.g., air-bearing or robotic relative-motion facilities) where applicable.

Perform supporting orbit, attitude, power, and overpass analyses using OSS's in-house NG&C framework.

Technical Leadership

Derive and own GN&C requirements, including relative-navigation performance, approach safety, and abort criteria.

Set software design standards — modular, efficient, testable, well-documented — and author robust unit and integration tests.

Mentor engineers and lead GN&C content in system and design reviews.

Interface algorithm designs with the flight software / embedded environment, including autocoding workflows where used.

Contributing Areas

Support ADCS subsystem trades, sizing, and hardware/software test of COTS ADCS components, sensors, and actuators.

Support propulsion subsystem trades, selection, and test.

Contribute to mission planning, high-fidelity orbit propagation, and satellite data analysis.

Support business development through proposals, conceptual mission design, and requirements development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant engineering or computational field, plus 10–12 years (BS), 8–10 years (MS), or 5–7 years (PhD) of professional experience developing software for high-reliability space and aerospace applications.
• Strong working knowledge of orbit and attitude dynamics, relative orbital mechanics, and the space environment, including common perturbation modeling.
• Demonstrated depth in estimation and/or control theory (e.g., Kalman filtering, optimal control) applied to spacecraft GN&C.
• Hands-on algorithm development experience in C++ and Python (or similar).
• Proficiency with modern software development practices and version control (Git preferred).
• Excellent technical writing, communication and presentation skills.
• Must be a U.S. person as defined under ITAR/EAR, and able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance.