K2 Space
Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) Engineer Los Angeles, CA
K2 Space, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
Overview
K2 Space is building large, high-powered spacecraft for the next generation of space development. Backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Altimeter Capital, and many others, we have raised $200M to date and intend to mass produce the highest-powered satellite platforms for missions from LEO to Deep Space. We aim to move from an era of mass constraint to mass abundance by leveraging the capabilities of new launch vehicles like Falcon 9 and Starship. Our team believes the future lies in building large, high-powered satellites that can handle multiple orbits, enabling solar system development and progression toward a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization.
If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you’re excited about contributing to a groundbreaking Series B space startup, we’d love for you to apply. The Role
As a GNC engineer, you will be a core driver of the overall spacecraft GNC architecture. You will execute detailed trade studies to identify novel ways to implement the spacecraft’s guidance, attitude control, and attitude and orbit estimation systems. In the first 3 months, you will support the development of the control infrastructure, from discrete filter design in the time domain to thorough analysis in the frequency domain. You will also support autonomous orbit raise to MEO and the associated navigation. In the first 6 months, you will own and execute the Verification and Validation plan for the GNC stack, driving flight readiness through thorough analysis of vehicle performance in nominal and off-nominal environments, and updating the GNC stack and the K2 6-DOF simulation. All GNC team members are expected to contribute code to the 6-DOF simulator and to own a portion of the GNC flight software.
In the first year, you will support launch and on-orbit operations of the first full demonstration of the K2 spacecraft bus – the Mega. You will also support Block 2 upgrades of the GNC stack and 6-DOF sim, incorporating lessons learned from on-orbit operations to improve fidelity and vehicle performance. Responsibilities
Work with other engineering leads to develop and validate a novel high level vehicle architecture Develop novel algorithms for precise pointing of very large, flexible structures in earth orbit and beyond Develop novel slewing algorithms of very large, flexible structures in earth orbit and beyond Develop simulation and modeling tools to support vehicle and GNC trade studies, including mission design, controls analysis, and 6-DOF simulation development Contribute to building the GNC organization by recruiting, hiring, and mentoring other engineers Qualifications
Experience with GNC actuator or sensor sizing, selection, and system design Experience with implementing attitude control and/or estimation algorithms on spacecraft Experience with verification and validation of GNC flight software in an integrated environment, leveraging 6-DOF simulation and HITL testing Experience with Python, Julia, C/C++, or Matlab for algorithm development, implementation, and simulation Nice to Have
Experience with early-stage spacecraft conceptual design, i.e. “clean sheet” design work Experience with control algorithm development Experience with reaction wheel, control moment gyroscope, or thruster sizing and algorithm implementation Experience with navigation, specifically Extended Kalman Filters Experience with trajectory analysis, modeling, and mission design Experience with Rust software development Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range for this role is $150,000 - $175,000 plus equity in the company. Salary will be based on factors including knowledge and skills, education, and experience level. Comprehensive benefits include unlimited paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and other perks. If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply. Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other, and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged. If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application or interviews, please let us know. Export Compliance
As defined in ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain protected individuals. The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations and ITAR. The candidate must be a “U.S. person” or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license. K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or other legally protected status. Voluntary Self-Identification
We invite candidates to respond to voluntary self-identification surveys for government reporting purposes. Completion is voluntary and confidential, and will not affect hiring decisions. Details follow the applicable EEOC/OFCCP guidelines and are provided for compliance purposes. Disability Self-Identification: We ask applicants to disclose whether they have a disability or have had one. This information is used to measure our progress toward a federal contractor goal. A sample list of disabilities includes, but is not limited to, autoimmune disorders, mobility impairments, mental health conditions, neurological conditions, and other specified categories. This section is separate from the core job application and is voluntary. PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. For more information, please consult the OFCCP guidelines.
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K2 Space is building large, high-powered spacecraft for the next generation of space development. Backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Altimeter Capital, and many others, we have raised $200M to date and intend to mass produce the highest-powered satellite platforms for missions from LEO to Deep Space. We aim to move from an era of mass constraint to mass abundance by leveraging the capabilities of new launch vehicles like Falcon 9 and Starship. Our team believes the future lies in building large, high-powered satellites that can handle multiple orbits, enabling solar system development and progression toward a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization.
If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you’re excited about contributing to a groundbreaking Series B space startup, we’d love for you to apply. The Role
As a GNC engineer, you will be a core driver of the overall spacecraft GNC architecture. You will execute detailed trade studies to identify novel ways to implement the spacecraft’s guidance, attitude control, and attitude and orbit estimation systems. In the first 3 months, you will support the development of the control infrastructure, from discrete filter design in the time domain to thorough analysis in the frequency domain. You will also support autonomous orbit raise to MEO and the associated navigation. In the first 6 months, you will own and execute the Verification and Validation plan for the GNC stack, driving flight readiness through thorough analysis of vehicle performance in nominal and off-nominal environments, and updating the GNC stack and the K2 6-DOF simulation. All GNC team members are expected to contribute code to the 6-DOF simulator and to own a portion of the GNC flight software.
In the first year, you will support launch and on-orbit operations of the first full demonstration of the K2 spacecraft bus – the Mega. You will also support Block 2 upgrades of the GNC stack and 6-DOF sim, incorporating lessons learned from on-orbit operations to improve fidelity and vehicle performance. Responsibilities
Work with other engineering leads to develop and validate a novel high level vehicle architecture Develop novel algorithms for precise pointing of very large, flexible structures in earth orbit and beyond Develop novel slewing algorithms of very large, flexible structures in earth orbit and beyond Develop simulation and modeling tools to support vehicle and GNC trade studies, including mission design, controls analysis, and 6-DOF simulation development Contribute to building the GNC organization by recruiting, hiring, and mentoring other engineers Qualifications
Experience with GNC actuator or sensor sizing, selection, and system design Experience with implementing attitude control and/or estimation algorithms on spacecraft Experience with verification and validation of GNC flight software in an integrated environment, leveraging 6-DOF simulation and HITL testing Experience with Python, Julia, C/C++, or Matlab for algorithm development, implementation, and simulation Nice to Have
Experience with early-stage spacecraft conceptual design, i.e. “clean sheet” design work Experience with control algorithm development Experience with reaction wheel, control moment gyroscope, or thruster sizing and algorithm implementation Experience with navigation, specifically Extended Kalman Filters Experience with trajectory analysis, modeling, and mission design Experience with Rust software development Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range for this role is $150,000 - $175,000 plus equity in the company. Salary will be based on factors including knowledge and skills, education, and experience level. Comprehensive benefits include unlimited paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and other perks. If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply. Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other, and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged. If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application or interviews, please let us know. Export Compliance
As defined in ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and certain protected individuals. The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations and ITAR. The candidate must be a “U.S. person” or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license. K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or other legally protected status. Voluntary Self-Identification
We invite candidates to respond to voluntary self-identification surveys for government reporting purposes. Completion is voluntary and confidential, and will not affect hiring decisions. Details follow the applicable EEOC/OFCCP guidelines and are provided for compliance purposes. Disability Self-Identification: We ask applicants to disclose whether they have a disability or have had one. This information is used to measure our progress toward a federal contractor goal. A sample list of disabilities includes, but is not limited to, autoimmune disorders, mobility impairments, mental health conditions, neurological conditions, and other specified categories. This section is separate from the core job application and is voluntary. PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. For more information, please consult the OFCCP guidelines.
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