Senior Mission Planning Engineer - TeraWave

About the role

Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Design and own the end-to-end mission planning process from mission design through operational execution, including planning cycle workflows, activity request intake, deconfliction, resource allocation, and timeline generation.
• Establish constraint frameworks that govern how activities are scheduled, sequenced, and validated.
• Translate system-level requirements, mission design outputs (trajectory plans, spacecraft models, ConOps), and mission objectives into actionable planning requirements.
• Define command sequence structure, procedure formats, and play architectures that align with the mission planning process and enable development of executable operational products.
• Ensure mission planners have clear, validated activity templates, planning tools, and operational processes to execute planning cycles during mission operations.
• Partner with mission planning software architects and developers to define operational requirements, and design, validate, and integrate mission-unique activity templates and command sequences into planning tools.
• Lead development of mission planning ops products, including activity templates, constraint definitions, planning procedures, and timeline products.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of mission planning tools and automation capabilities.
• Support test activities and rehearsals as the mission planning technical lead, ensuring planning products are verified and validated through simulation, rehearsal, and review processes.
• Mentor and guide junior mission planning engineers and operations team mission planners on planning processes and best practices.
• Support real-time mission operations as an on-console mission planner during launch and early orbit phase and other critical mission events as needed.
• Represent mission planning in cross-functional forums and design reviews.

Requirements

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience in spacecraft mission operations, mission planning, flight dynamics, or flight operations.
• Demonstrated experience designing or significantly contributing to new mission planning processes, tools, or systems.
• Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems and how they constrain operational planning (power, thermal, data, comms availability, attitude).
• Software development experience in Python or equivalent programming language.
• Experience working across organizational boundaries to integrate engineering outputs into operational products.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience in spacecraft mission operations, mission planning, flight dynamics, or flight operations.
• Demonstrated experience designing or significantly contributing to new mission planning processes, tools, or systems.
• Strong understanding of spacecraft subsystems and how they constrain operational planning (power, thermal, data, comms availability, attitude).
• Software development experience in Python or equivalent programming language.
• Experience working across organizational boundaries to integrate engineering outputs into operational products.

Skills

• Expertise in mission planning, orbital mechanics, spacecraft operations, and software development.

Benefits

Base Pay Range For WA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45 Other Site Ranges May Differ