Embedded Software Engineer

Northrop Grumman demonstrates Lunar Infrastructure Demos as part of NASA lunar mission. Stephen Kuper 07 August 2026 Northrop Grumman is repurposing technologies originally developed for NASA's lunar Gateway program to build and demonstrate the critical infrastructure needed for humanity's first permanent base on the moon, marking another major step towards sustained operations beyond Earth. Northrop Grumman has unveiled a series of Lunar Infrastructure Demo (LID) missions designed to mature the technologies that will underpin NASA's planned Moon Base, accelerating the transition from short-duration lunar expeditions to a permanent human presence on the lunar surface. Rather than developing entirely new systems, the company will leverage technologies created for the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO), adapting proven hardware and software to support long-term operations near the moon's south pole. Northrop Grumman's approach is intended to reduce development risk, shorten delivery timelines and lower overall program costs while advancing the infrastructure needed to sustain astronauts on the lunar surface. The demonstration program will validate key capabilities, including surface power generation and distribution, thermal management, autonomous operations, communications networks and hosted payload services. David Schiller, vice-president, civil space and sciences, Northrop Grumman, said: "As America embarks on the next chapter in human space exploration, our Lunar Infrastructure Demos will help turn the moon into a place where astronauts can stay, work and make discoveries that benefit humanity." Collectively, these systems will provide the essential infrastructure required for future habitats, scientific research and commercial activities while enabling crews to survive the extreme conditions of the lunar environment, including the two-week-long lunar night. The initiative forms part of NASA's broader Moon Base architecture, which is being developed through a phased approach combining robotic precursor missions, commercial cargo deliveries and progressively more capable surface infrastructure before astronauts begin extended stays on the moon. Beyond supporting scientific exploration, the technologies are expected to lay the foundations for an enduring cislunar economy, enabling commercial services, resource utilisation and technology development that will ultimately support future human missions to Mars. For Australia, the program highlights the rapidly evolving opportunities emerging within the global lunar economy. Australian companies are already contributing advanced robotics, autonomous systems, communications technologies and resource extraction expertise to international lunar programs, while the Australian Space Agency has identified lunar exploration as a strategic area for sovereign industry growth. "Our ready-to-fly, reliable HALO technologies allow NASA to move faster, putting in place robust infrastructure that can endure the lunar night and establish a strong blueprint for a future Moon Base," Schiller said. The emphasis on modular infrastructure, autonomous operations and commercial partnerships also mirrors Australia's own ambitions to develop high-value niche capabilities that integrate into allied space programs rather than compete across the entire space sector. As NASA and its international partners shift from proving they can return humans to the moon to establishing a permanent foothold there, attention is increasingly turning towards the infrastructure that will make continuous operations possible. Reliable power, communications, logistics and autonomous support systems are rapidly becoming as important as the rockets and spacecraft that deliver them. Northrop Grumman's Lunar Infrastructure Demo missions represent another important milestone in that transition, demonstrating how proven technologies can be adapted to create the resilient foundations of humanity's first permanent outpost beyond Earth. Want to see more stories from trusted news sources? Make Space Connect a preferred news source on Google.

Northrop Grumman: appoints Randy Sinclair as vice president, investor relations. FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Aug. 4, 2026 - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has appointed Randy Sinclair vice president of investor relations, reporting to John Greene, corporate vice president and chief financial officer, effective August 10. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman, Sinclair spent more than a decade in strategy and finance leadership roles at the Chevron Corporation, most recently leading the company's investor relations program. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and U.S. Coast Guard veteran, holding a Bachelor of Science in Management from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Its pioneering solutions equip its customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve its customers' toughest problems, its employees define possible every day.

Northrop Grumman expands Melbourne campus to support next-gen aircraft programs. Northrop Grumman has added a new 300,000-square-foot (27,871-square-meter) engineering facility at its Melbourne campus in Florida, supporting next-generation aircraft programs. The facility expands the company's Melbourne campus, which spans 2 million square feet (185,806 square meters), employs about 5,000 people, and supports Northrop Grumman's next-generation aircraft design and development efforts. Accommodating more than 1,200 engineers and including 17 secure laboratories dedicated to advanced aircraft design, the Melbourne campus supports several programs, including the US Navy's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. "We're continuing to grow in Florida, turning years of investment and experience into real capabilities our warfighters need. This facility reinforces Melbourne as the epicenter of sixth-generation aircraft," said Tom Jones, corporate VP and President of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. Associated programs. The Melbourne, Florida campus focuses on designing, developing, and testing advanced crewed aircraft and battle management systems. Among its notable programs are the US Navy's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, which functions as the service's carrier-based airborne early warning and battle management aircraft. The campus also served as the primary digital engineering and design headquarters for the US Air Force's B-21 Raider stealth bomber program, whose physical assembly takes place in Northrop's Palmdale, California facility. The Melbourne campus joins several of Northrop Grumman's other Florida facilities, including its primary aircraft manufacturing and final assembly site in St. Augustine, the Apopka microelectronics manufacturing facility, and the Kennedy Space Center for space systems. As one of the leading contenders for the US Navy's sixth-generation F/A-XX fighter program, Northrop Grumman said it would leverage its Florida facilities if selected to develop the aircraft.