Ground Software Engineer
AstroForge
Software Engineering
Seal Beach, CA, USA
USD 100k-160k / year + Equity
Posted on Jul 11, 2025
Ground Software Engineer
Seal Beach
Ground Systems
In office
Full-time
Ground Software Engineer
About the Company
At AstroForge, our mission is to make space resources accessible on Earth. We mine asteroids to extract valuable minerals in space at a lower cost and smaller carbon footprint than current terrestrial mining methods. We offer a unique opportunity to join an exciting team looking to expand humanity’s capabilities in space.
Job Description
As a Ground Software Engineer at AstroForge, you will develop the software systems that command, monitor, and manage our spacecraft from Earth. Your work will enable real-time operations, automate complex sequences, and ensure the health and performance of our vehicles throughout mission lifecycles. This role is ideal for an engineer who thrives in fast-paced, hardware-integrated environments and enjoys building robust, scalable tools that directly impact mission success.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain ground software systems for spacecraft command and telemetry
- Design, develop, and maintain software systems to operate, manage, monitor ground station radios and other equipment distributed around the world
- Build tools for real-time and post-flight data analysis, anomaly detection, and health monitoring
- Develop user interfaces, APIs, and dashboards for operations and engineering teams
- Implement automation pipelines for satellite tasking, data handling, and testing
- Integrate spacecraft simulation environments with mission control systems
- Work closely with systems, avionics, GNC, and operations teams to ensure end-to-end software functionality
- Support spacecraft mission rehearsals, launches, and in-flight operations
- Write documentation and contribute to team processes for software development and testing
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
- 3–5 years of experience developing production software systems
- Proficiency in Python and at least one strongly typed language (e.g., Rust, Go, or Python)
- Experience working with APIs, network protocols, and database systems (SQL or NoSQL)
- Familiarity with Linux development environments, version control (Git), and CI/CD pipelines
- Strong problem-solving and debugging skills, especially in hardware-in-the-loop environments
- Ability to work onsite in Seal Beach, CA
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience with space mission control frameworks (e.g., COSMOS, OpenMCT, cFS, or custom ground systems)
- Familiarity with telemetry and command protocols (CCSDS, TCP/IP, MQTT)
- Experience working on spacecraft, robotics, or embedded systems projects
- Understanding of spacecraft operations, telemetry processing, and fault detection systems
- Knowledge of containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and deployment practices
- Comfort writing automated test suites and scripting for operational workflows
- Exposure to time-series databases, log aggregators, or monitoring tools (e.g., InfluxDB, Grafana, ELK stack)
- Experience with radio frequency and ground systems is preferred
Benefits
- 100% paid medical, dental, and life insurance coverage
- Vision and FSA benefits available
- 3 weeks of PTO + 1 week of sick time
- 10 paid holidays
- Retirement savings plan – 401(k), with company match
- Equity on the ground floor of a startup
Salary
$100,000 - $160,000
ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you 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. Government.
Equal Opportunity Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
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Req ID: R59
