GNC Engineer, Orbit Determination/Stargaze (Starlink)

About the role

Reliable knowledge of object orbits and accurate predictions are paramount in today's orbital environment, as they are essential to preventing collisions, ensuring mission success, and protecting critical space infrastructure.

As the number of satellites and debris proliferates, advanced orbit determination capabilities enable proactive risk mitigation, fostering a sustainable space domain for exploration, communication, and scientific advancement.

SpaceX is seeking talented engineers with expertise in orbit determination and object tracking to enhance our space surveillance efforts, leveraging optical or radar observations to maintain a precise catalog of space objects and support collision avoidance.

This role directly contributes to the safety of the Starlink constellation, which is revolutionizing global connectivity by delivering high-speed internet to underserved regions, bridging digital divides, and enabling transformative applications in education, healthcare, and disaster response worldwide. Join us to tackle the challenges of space traffic management and drive innovations that make space safer and more accessible for humanity.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, update, and operate orbit determination tools and pipelines to support collision avoidance and space safety operations
• Develop and refine image processing algorithms for object detection and data association to enhance system performance
• Operate surveillance systems and collaborate closely with collision avoidance and mission operations teams to support real-time decision-making
• Improve overall system performance by updating orbit determination, image processing, and prediction algorithms for higher accuracy and reliability

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, physics, computer science, or other STEM discipline
• Experience in software development using Python or C++

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Advanced degree in aerospace engineering or a related field with a focus on orbit determination or space situational awareness
• Expertise in sequential estimation techniques, including Kalman filtering, residual editing, filter tuning, covariance analysis, consider parameters, adaptive processes, and covariance realism
• Strong background in orbital modeling and propagation, including high-fidelity orbit propagation, perturbations in low-Earth orbit, drag modeling, density models, and space weather parameters
• Hands-on experience with sensors, telescopes, astrometry, photometry, and image reduction for optical observations
• Proficiency in measurement and sensor handling, including measurement processing, measurement modeling, debiasing, sensor calibration, image processing, optical observations, and radar measurements
• Experience with orbit determination methods, such as angles-only orbit determination and initial orbit determination
• Proficiency in data analysis techniques, including statistical tests (e.g., chi-squared, Kolmogorov-Smirnov) and data correlation methods
• Familiarity with space traffic management and situational awareness, including conjunction data messages (CDMs) and two-line element (TLE) sets
• Proven ability to develop, test, and deploy algorithms for real-world space applications, with proficiency in version control systems like Git
• Ability to solve complex problems independently in a fast-paced, innovative environment
• Passion for space safety, satellite operations, and advancing the commercial space industry
• Excellent communication skills for collaborating across multidisciplinary teams

Pay Range

Level 1: $125,000.00 - $165,000.00

Level 2: $145,000.00 - $200,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year.

Employees in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.

Itar Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.