Impulse Space

In-space propulsion and payload mobility

Senior Optical Navigation - Terrain-Relative Navigation, Lunar

Flight Dynamics & GNCUpdated on Nov 10

Full-timeRedondo Beach, CA, USA$210k - $300k /yr

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Physics, or a related discipline.
At least 8 years of experience in spacecraft or aircraft navigation, optical/vision-based navigation, or guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems engineering.
Demonstrated experience defining requirements, interfaces, and error budgets for a navigation or sensing system.
Demonstrated work in verification, simulation, or testing of navigation or perception systems.
Experience with flight- or development-hardware selection, procurement, or testing.
Working knowledge of state estimation, such as Kalman filtering, and how measurement errors affect navigation performance.
Proficiency in Python and/or MATLAB, and ability to read and review C++ flight code.
Excellent technical communication skills.

Responsibilities

Own the terrain-relative navigation system end to end, including concept of operations, requirements, architecture, and interfaces.
Translate mission and landing needs into flowed-down navigation requirements and error budgets.
Maintain the technical roadmap, prioritized backlog, and development milestones as product owner for terrain-relative navigation, aligning with lander integration, testing, and mission schedules.
Coordinate across multiple teams to achieve system-level success.
Lead make/buy and sensor trades for descent navigation, including cameras and compute.
Define the onboard map and reference-data pipeline.
Lead and define the terrain-relative navigation verification strategy across analysis, synthetic-image simulation, software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing with image injection, Monte Carlo campaigns, and field or flight testing.
Define terrain-relative navigation fault detection, health monitoring, and fallback modes with guidance, navigation, and control and autonomy teams.
Represent terrain-relative navigation in design and risk reviews, and communicate status, trades, and risk to engineering and leadership.
Support integration, test campaigns, and mission operations through descent and landing.

As the Senior Optical Navigation (OpNav) Responsible Engineer at Impulse Space, you will own the terrain-relative navigation (TRN) system that brings our lunar lander from low lunar orbit to a precise, safe touchdown. You will be the single technical owner and product owner for TRN: you'll set the requirements, architecture, development roadmap and verification strategy, and you'll pace the program so the capability is ready when the vehicle is. You will work closely with GNC, flight software, avionics, mission design, and test to turn a lunar landing mission into a navigation system that is defined, built, verified, and flown.

Own the TRN system end to end: concept of operations, requirements, architecture, and the interfaces
Turn mission and landing needs into flowed-down navigation requirements and error budgets
As product owner for TRN: maintain the technical roadmap, prioritized backlog, and development milestones, aligning with lander integration, test, and mission schedules
Coordinate across multiple teams to achieve system-level success
Lead make/buy and sensor trades for descent navigation: cameras, compute, and more
Define the onboard map and reference-data pipeline
Lead and define the TRN verification strategy across analysis, synthetic-image simulation, software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing with image injection, Monte Carlo campaigns, and field or flight testing
Define TRN fault detection, health monitoring, and fallback modes with GNC and autonomy
Represent TRN in design reviews and risk reviews. Communicate status, trades, and risk to engineering and leadership
Support integration, test campaigns, and mission operations through descent and landing

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Physics, or a related discipline
8+ years of experience in spacecraft or aircraft navigation, optical/vision-based navigation, or GNC systems engineering
Demonstrated experience defining requirements, interfaces, and error budgets for a navigation or sensing system
Demonstrated work in verification, simulation, or test of navigation or perception systems
Experience with flight- or development-hardware selection, procurement, or test
Working knowledge of state estimation (e.g., Kalman filtering) and how measurement errors affect navigation performance
Proficiency in Python and/or MATLAB; ability to read and review C++ flight code
Excellent technical communication skills

About the Company

Impulse Space

In-space propulsion and payload mobility

Impulse Space builds in-space mobility services and propulsion to move payloads after launch. Its products include Mira for precise maneuvering and rendezvous, Helios high-energy kick stage, Caravan rideshare to higher-energy orbits, and propulsion lines Saiph, Deneb, and Rigel. These tools act as in-space tugs and stages to push, dock, and deploy payloads in orbit. Led by SpaceX veteran Tom Mueller, Impulse Space uses flight-proven hardware and a growing network of facilities to make reaching higher-energy orbits faster and cheaper, expanding access for customers.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: Series D
Total funding: $1.4B
Headquarters: Redondo Beach, CA
Founded: 2021

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