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Astroscale

On-orbit satellite servicing and debris removal

Senior GNC Engineer

Flight Dynamics & GNCConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeTokyo, JapanNo salary listedHybrid

About the Job

Requirements

  • At least 5 years of experience as an AOCS or GNC systems engineer designing, implementing, and testing GNC solutions for actual spacecraft missions.
  • Experience developing algorithms and control laws, including using GNC design and simulation software such as MATLAB; incorporating real-world effects such as nonlinearities, signal noise, and tuning; and translating algorithms into operational flight software.
  • Experience with hardware trade-offs and hardware and software GNC architectural design.
  • Comfort using English in a business environment.
  • Business-level Japanese language capability.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the development team for satellite GNC systems and conduct design and verification activities.
  • Support system-level activities, including developing mission concepts of operations, defining failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis and failure detection, isolation, and recovery processes, and carrying out system testing and verification activities.
  • Develop control laws and algorithms by analyzing, designing, implementing, and validating scenarios through simulation for rendezvous and proximity operations and docking maneuvers.
  • Develop GNC hardware architecture and conduct hardware trade-off analysis toward an overall GNC hardware solution.
  • Develop GNC software architecture and implement algorithms for GNC flight software toward an overall GNC software solution.
  • Support procurement engineers with trade-off analysis and selection of GNC equipment.
  • Coach junior-level engineers and provide consultation to the GNC development team.

Desired Qualifications

  • At least 10 years of experience as an AOCS or GNC systems engineer designing, implementing, and testing GNC solutions for actual spacecraft missions.
  • Experience implementing rendezvous and proximity operations and docking algorithms and solutions.
  • Operational experience with on-orbit satellite operations.
  • Experience in control law design beyond classical techniques, including nonlinear and optimal design.
  • Knowledge of GNC sensor systems, including trade-offs, procurement, and data processing for cameras, infrared sensors, and LiDAR.
  • Understanding of safety across the GNC design spectrum, including passively safe trajectories, safety-critical flight software, operator and ground-segment interaction and autonomy levels, abort maneuvers, and collision-avoidance maneuvers.
  • Knowledge of active debris removal or rendezvous and proximity operations missions, such as HTV and ETS-7.

About the Company

Astroscale

On-orbit satellite servicing and debris removal

Astroscale provides on-orbit satellite servicing to extend mission lifetimes and reduce space debris. Its offerings include End-of-Life services (ELSA-d and ELSA-M) to capture and de-orbit defunct satellites, Active Debris Removal (ADRAS-J) to approach and inspect debris, Life Extension (LEXI) for in-orbit refueling planned for 2026, and in-situ space situational awareness (ISSA) to monitor the space environment. It enables docking plates attached pre-launch to allow future servicing or removal, serving governments (JAXA, UK Space Agency, ESA) and commercial operators (Eutelsat, OneWeb). Its goal is to create a sustainable space environment by enabling safe rendezvous, servicing, and debris removal in low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit and by shaping regulations for responsible space activity.

Company size
201-500
Company stage
IPO
Headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
Founded
2013

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