Senior GNC Controls Engineer
Astranis
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.
Senior GNC Controls Engineer
As a Controls Engineer on the GNC team, you will own control algorithms from design through to operation in orbit, and you will develop tooling to analyze and tune our existing controllers.
Role
- Design, implement, and test closed-loop control algorithms for precise pointing, station-keeping, detumble, and desaturation maneuvers for satellites in orbit
- Develop and maintain high-fidelity satellite simulations to validate GNC control algorithms prior to flight
- Validate and verify algorithm performance through software simulation, Monte Carlo analysis, hardware in the loop, and on-orbit testing
- Perform stability analysis in both time and frequency domains, including gain tuning, margin assessment, and notch filter design for structural flex modes
- Support system identification efforts using in-orbit telemetry to refine onboard models and improve controller performance
- Ability to effectively collaborate with interdisciplinary teams on large projects
- Develop operational procedures and provide mission planning support
- Support GNC operations for our fleet of satellites, including on-console and on-call rotations
- Support in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly growing team
Requirements
- B.S. or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- 5+ years of industry experience in GNC, controls, or a closely adjacent discipline
- Strong fundamentals in classical and modern control theory, including frequency-domain analysis (Bode plots, Nyquist, gain/phase margins)
- Experience designing and implementing closed-loop control systems for dynamic systems
- Experience with gain optimization, linearization, and controls tooling development
- Demonstrated experience modeling flexible body dynamics and mitigating their effects through system design and control systems
- Proficiency in Python for algorithm development and simulation
- Experience with modern C++ for on-board software
- Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, iterative environment
- US Citizenship or Green Card
- Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria
Bonus
- Direct experience with spacecraft attitude control systems (reaction wheels, thrusters, gimbals)
- Understanding of orbital mechanics and geostationary stationkeeping strategies
- Familiarity with electric or chemical propulsion-based control (e.g., stationkeeping, momentum management maneuvers)
- Background in estimation theory or Kalman filtering for attitude/orbit determination
- Hands-on experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing or real-time simulation environments
- Experience supporting live satellite operations or anomaly resolution
- Experience with AI tooling and agentic workflows
Base pay is just one component of Astranis’s total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high-quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on-site catered meals.
