Sr Principal Architect, Space Safety and Sustainability

About the role

TeraWave is a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation consists of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide. The Senior Principal Architect for Space Safety & Sustainability will own the TeraWave Space Sustainability Strategy, leading technical engagement with regulatory bodies on orbital debris and space traffic coordination.

Responsibilities

• Own the TeraWave Space Sustainability Strategy, ODAR, and ODM — stewarding and evolving these documents to remain accurate, credible, and aligned with the design reference mission as the program matures, in compliance with NASA-STD-8719.14C and the ODMSP.
• Lead TeraWave's technical engagement with the FCC and other regulatory bodies on matters of orbital debris and space traffic coordination, providing compliance assessments and shaping TeraWave's technical positions as regulations evolve.
• Lead technical interchanges with other satellite operators and advocacy organizations, establishing cooperative frameworks for space traffic coordination and representing TeraWave's positions in industry and regulatory forums.
• Architect TeraWave's space traffic coordination strategy and systems — including orbit selection philosophy, inter-operator coordination methodology, and the systems for acquiring, distributing, and processing ephemeris data — ensuring a reliable conjunction assessment capability across all operational phases and at full fleet scale.
• Define the end-to-end collision risk mitigation architecture, from automated conjunction data ingestion through novel spacecraft hardware and operational designs, always maintaining stringent minimum collision probability thresholds.
• Establish engineering standards, analysis methods, and tools for debris minimization across the satellite lifecycle, including demisability compliance, mitigation of MMOD-driven energetic failures in critical systems, and passivization strategies at end of life.
• Define TeraWave's post-mission disposal approach, including the relationship between orbit selection, disposal reliability, natural decay timelines, and TeraWave's disposal timeline requirements, and evaluate preparedness for more stringent emerging requirements as the regulatory landscape evolves.
• Assess and recommend TeraWave's approach to mitigating the constellation's impact on astronomical observations, including satellite optical brightness reduction, and identify associated design investments, operational strategies, or industry partnerships.
• Collaborate with spacecraft, GNC, propulsion, power, and operations teams to embed space safety and sustainability requirements early in system design, with the architecture defined by this role serving as the governing framework against which those teams design and build.
• Contribute to the TeraWave design reference mission, identify technology gaps and required partnerships, and drive the critical analyses needed to advance TeraWave's space safety posture and maintain compliance with evolving standards.
• Serve as TeraWave's senior technical authority on space safety and sustainability, providing guidance across engineering teams and representing TeraWave's technical positions to external stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and industry and advocacy forums.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in aerospace engineering, astrodynamics, systems engineering, or equivalent technical field.
• 12+ years of experience in spacecraft systems, orbital mechanics, or space operations, with significant direct experience across at least two of the following: space traffic management and coordination, collision avoidance system design, orbital debris analysis, or satellite regulatory compliance.
• Deep working knowledge of orbital mechanics including orbit propagation, conjunction assessment, maneuver planning, and debris environment modeling, with proficiency in relevant tools such as STK, Python, or MATLAB.
• Working familiarity with NASA-STD-8719.14C and the ODMSP, with direct experience engaging with regulatory processes and making substantive technical contributions to ODARs or equivalent compliance documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to translate space safety and sustainability requirements into engineering design standards and system architecture specifications across multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent verbal, written, and graphical communication skills, including demonstrated experience representing technical positions to external stakeholders or regulatory bodies, and the ability to communicate clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment.