Full-Time
Spacecraft Hardware-In-The-Loop Engineer
Apex
201-500 employees
Manufactures ESPA-class satellites and bus
Compensation Overview
$125k - $155k/yr
Los Angeles, CA, USA
In Person
 Aerospace Engineering (2) |
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- U.S. Person status is required as this position needs to access export controlled data.
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field. Master's degree is a plus.
- 3-6 years of proven experience in hardware-in-the-loop testing, preferably in the aerospace or satellite industry.
- Strong knowledge of simulation and emulation tools (e.g., Simulink, LabVIEW, OPAL-RT) and real-time software platforms.
- Familiarity with satellite systems and subsystems, including communication, power, attitude control, and payload systems.
- Experience in designing and implementing test environments using simulation models and emulators.
- Proficiency in programming languages, such as MATLAB, Python, or C/C++.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen attention to detail.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders.
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet project deadlines.
- Proven ability to work in fast-paced and dynamic testing environment while delivering results.
- Collaborate with system engineers and other stakeholders to define test requirements and objectives.
- Develop comprehensive test plans and procedures for hardware-in-the-loop testing.
- Design and configure test environments using simulation and emulation tools.
- Define and integrate test equipment, interfaces, and instrumentation necessary for HITL testing.
- Execute hardware-in-the-loop tests according to defined test plans and procedures.
- Monitor and analyze test results, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of data.
- Identify and troubleshoot anomalies or issues that arise during testing.
- Collaborate with other engineers to investigate and resolve any identified problems.
- Develop and maintain simulation models, emulators, and interfaces to accurately replicate satellite systems and their interfaces.
- Configure and program test equipment, such as sensors, actuators, and communication interfaces.
- Implement and validate real-time simulation and emulation environments for satellite subsystems.
- Collaborate with software engineers to develop test automation scripts and tools.
- Analyze test data, identify trends, and generate meaningful insights and conclusions.
- Prepare comprehensive test reports, including detailed analysis, observations, and recommendations.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to communicate test results and provide inputs for system improvement.
- Continuously improve HITL testing methodologies, tools, and processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
- Stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and technologies related to HITL testing.
- Contribute to research and development projects aimed at advancing HITL testing capabilities.
- Master's degree is a plus
Apex Space designs and builds ESPA-class satellite buses like the Aries bus for space missions. The Aries bus can host payloads up to 94 kilograms with a total wet mass of up to 197 kilograms, enabling missions in LEO and compatibility with MEO, GEO, and deep space. They sell customizable satellite buses to government, commercial, and research clients for Earth observation, communications, and science, with options for performance upgrades and post-reservation configurations. They differentiate themselves with guaranteed on-time delivery, high reliability, and transparent pricing, aiming to provide reliable, configurable platforms that simplify access to space for diverse missions.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Series D
Total Funding
$518.5M
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
Founded
2020
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- $200M Series D in 2025 funds 50% production increase, slots sold to 2028.
- KSAT partnership integrates buses with global ground stations, cuts timelines.
- NEC selects Aries for 2027 optical comms demo, validates next-gen use.
What critics are saying
- Starcloud captures Golden Dome contracts with 2027 orbital compute satellites.
- SpaceX integrates in-house buses for Starship, erodes Comet XL market.
- NEC Aries fails in 2027 orbit from transceiver issues, harms reputation.
What makes Apex unique
- Apex productizes ESPA-class satellite buses like Aries for rapid, reliable delivery.
- GEO Aries enables high ΔV GEO missions in ESPA envelope at $13.5M base price.
- Comet Mini and XL deliver 20kW and 100kW power for defense and compute.
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People at Apex who can refer or advise you
Benefits
Shared upside
Best-in-class healthcare
Comprehensive PTO package
Competitive 401(k) plan
8 weeks paid parental leave
Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
Vibrant community
Your dream desk setup
World-class Playa Vista office
Real impact opportunity
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
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↑ 0%2 year growth
↓ -3%Apex targets missile defence and orbital compute with new satellite platforms. 11 April 2026 Credit: Apex Satellite Apex Satellite is expanding beyond its original small-satellite niche with two new, larger platforms aimed at defence and high-power commercial missions. Two new platforms: Comet Mini and Comet XL. Apex has introduced Comet Mini and Comet XL, both designed for payloads that need far more power than its existing Aries, Nova and Comet buses. Comet Mini is planned to deliver around 20 kW of power. This is roughly four times the output of the current Comet platform. It can host payloads of about 450 kg when 16 satellites are stacked on a Falcon 9. Alternatively, it can support roughly 1,000 kg per satellite in an eight-stack configuration. Customised versions can handle payloads of up to 3,000 kg. Comet XL is sized for super-heavy launchers such as SpaceX's Starship. It is designed for peak power levels of up to 100 kW. This places it in a class intended for large, power-hungry missions, including space-based computing and sensor-heavy defence architectures. Golden Dome and orbital compute. The move follows growing interest in space-based missile defence and in-orbit computing. The U.S. The Golden Dome concept relies on proliferated LEO constellations with advanced sensors and onboard processing. This drives requirements for higher power and greater mass capacity. In parallel, Starcloud and other companies are developing orbital data centres. They have raised substantial funding for satellites designed to run compute workloads in space. These systems also depend on sustained high-power operation. Apex's new buses are configured to support these types of missions rather than only traditional smallsat communications or Earth-observation payloads. Production and funding background. Founded in 2022, Apex has raised multiple rounds, including a $200 million Series D in 2025 that valued the company at over $1 billion. The funding is being used to expand manufacturing capacity in Los Angeles and to integrate technologies such as Hall-effect thrusters acquired from Phase Four. By late 2025, Apex reported that production slots for its existing buses were sold out through 2027 and into 2028. Comet Mini, targeted for availability around 2028, and Comet XL, tied to Starship-class launch availability, extend that roadmap into the higher-power segment of the satellite bus market. Last updated: 11th Apr 2026 Published by Natalia Nichyshyna Space 11 April 2026
Northrop Grumman contracted for Hungary's HUGEO sovereign communications satellite. April 11, 2026 In a definitive step toward national space sovereignty, 4iG Space and Defence Technologies signed a multi-hundred million dollar agreement with Northrop Grumman on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, to develop Hungary's first geostationary communications satellite. The satellite, designated HUGEO, serves as the cornerstone of the broader HUSAT (Hungarian Satellite) program, which aims to provide independent dual-use orbital capabilities for the nation. Anchoring the HUSAT strategic initiative. The HUGEO contract was finalized during a high-level diplomatic visit to Budapest, attended by U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance and Hungarian Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy. The project represents the most significant international collaboration within the HUSAT program to date. The HUSAT initiative is designed to ensure Hungary's technological autonomy in satellite communications and Earth observation (EO). Alongside the HUGEO geostationary element, the program includes the development of eight low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, known as HULEO, which are slated for domestic manufacturing at 4iG's technology center in Hungary. Technical parameters of the HUGEO mission. Under the terms of the agreement, Northrop Grumman will lead the design, assembly, integration, and testing of HUGEO. The satellite will be built upon the flight-proven GEOStar-3 bus, a platform optimized for medium-to-high power missions requiring high reliability for national security and commercial applications. Northrop Grumman is also tasked with launch integration, early operations support, and the provision of ground segment components in collaboration with international partners, including Germany's Vertex for antenna systems. Executive commentary. "Today, we signed a landmark agreement with Northrop Grumman to secure Hungary's access to critical dual-use satellite communications capabilities, a key enabling technology in today's geopolitical environment," said Dr. István Sárhegyi, Chairman and CEO of 4iG Space and Defence. "We believe transatlantic cooperation will be a key driver of space and defense innovation in the coming decade, in which 4iG S&D aims to play a pioneering role." Regional industrial outlook. The partnership extends beyond the HUGEO satellite. 4iG and Northrop Grumman have amended their existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to include joint development in counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), advanced weaponry, and precision guidance systems. Simultaneously, 4iG announced framework agreements with Apex Technology to establish a European joint venture for scalable small-satellite production and with L3Harris Technologies for the integration of HIMARS rocket systems onto Hungarian-made Tatra trucks. These moves position 4iG as a primary regional integrator for NATO-compatible technologies, with HUGEO serving as the primary orbital relay for these upcoming defense digitalization projects.
Apex and KSAT join forces to accelerate satellite missions with streamlined, end-to-end capabilities. Apex and Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) have entered a strategic partnership. By combining Apex's productized, mass-produced satellite bus platforms with KSAT's global ground station network, mission operations, and integrated services, the companies aim to help satellite owners deploy and operate missions faster and more efficiently. 24 Mar 2026 Apex, a manufacturer of productized, mass-produced satellite buses, and Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), a global provider of integrated mission services, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to provide satellite owners with streamlined end-to-end mission capabilities - from spacecraft manufacturing through on-orbit operations and data delivery. The collaboration combines Apex's scalable, productized satellite bus platforms with KSAT's global ground station network, mission operations, and integrated services, enabling customers to deploy space missions faster and operate them more efficiently. "Partnering with Apex allows us to offer satellite owners a more streamlined path from spacecraft to operations," said Marte Indregard, CEO and President of KSAT. "Together we aim to reduce complexity and shorten deployment timelines by providing seamless access to KSAT's global infrastructure and experienced personnel, allowing customers to focus on their missions." Through the partnership, customers building missions on Apex satellite buses will gain seamless access to KSAT's integrated mission services, including launch and early orbit support, mission planning, satellite operations, and global ground station connectivity. "This partnership allows Apex customers to approach their constellations as an integrated system from day one," said Ian Cinnamon, Apex CEO and Co-Founder. "By combining both companies' capabilities, we're delivering an end-to-end solution that goes beyond the bus platform, enabling customers to orchestrate the full benefits of their satellite data from mission inception." The companies will work together to deliver integrated spacecraft and operations architectures designed to reduce complexity, shorten deployment timelines, and increase mission reliability. KSAT operates the world's largest commercial ground station network and provides mission services to government and commercial satellite owners worldwide. The partnership with Apex expands KSAT's ability to support next-generation satellite platforms and rapidly growing constellations. Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate on mission architecture, interoperability between spacecraft and ground systems, and joint offerings for commercial, civil, and defense missions. The partnership will initially focus on supporting low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite missions, with opportunities to expand into additional orbital regimes and mission types over time. The agreement was signed at Satellite in Washington DC 24th March, by KSAT CEO and President Marte Indregard and Apex CEO and Co-founder Ian Cinnamon:
NEC to develop technology demonstration satellite for optical communications. NEC Corporation has announced plans to develop a small technology demonstration satellite aimed at verifying key technologies for future optical communication satellite constellations. This initiative is part of NEC's efforts to advance optical communications, high-speed network routing design, and high-capacity millimeter-wave band communications. The design phase of the satellite-mounted equipment, or payload, has been completed, with manufacturing and integration into the satellite bus scheduled for fiscal year 2027. In satellite constellations where numerous satellites collaborate, optical communication is increasingly favored over conventional radio to avoid interference and enable high-capacity data transmission. NEC highlights the need to shorten development and manufacturing times and reduce costs to equip a large number of small satellites with optical communication devices. The company emphasizes the importance of utilizing general-purpose technologies that are highly functional and have a proven track record of mass production. The technology demonstration satellite will conduct several demonstrations in orbit to enhance competitiveness. These include evaluating a radiation-hardened design for commercial optical transceivers, operational verification of high-speed network routing processing technology using a Versal Adaptive SoC device from AMD, and demonstrating next-generation millimeter-wave band communication technology. NEC plans to demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating its satellite technology assets with generative AI for application development. The satellite bus will consist of the compact Aries satellite bus, an existing product of U.S.-based Apex Technology. Apex Technology CEO Ian Cinnamon expressed enthusiasm for partnering with NEC, highlighting the collaboration as an example of how mass-manufactured spacecraft can enable next-generation constellations globally. NEC's Yasushi Yokoyama noted that the demonstration results would be utilized in ongoing research and development projects under various economic security and space strategy programs. The project underscores NEC's commitment to advancing technological development for new space digital infrastructure, with a focus on safety, security, fairness, and efficiency.
Apex, a Los Angeles-based spacecraft manufacturer, recently secured $200 million in a Series D funding round led by Interlagos.