Deep Space Ground Navigation Engineer III

BLUE ORIGIN • Denver, CO

2d • $119,814 - $167,739

About The Position

This role is part of Blue National Security (BNS), where our focus is the design, development, and delivery of launch and spacecraft systems for national security missions. Through Blue Ring, our all-in-one, high-powered hybrid solar-electric and chemical-propelled spacecraft, we provide unmatched mission maneuverability, versatility, and capacity at dramatically lower-profile costs. Blue Origin's In-Space Systems business unit operates spacecraft across some of the most demanding regimes in spaceflight, from geostationary orbit to cislunar space and interplanetary destinations. Blue Ring, our multi-mission space vehicle, is expanding where we fly and what our navigation systems must do. You'll join the Astrodynamics and Trajectory Execution (ATX) team, which is responsible for end-to-end trajectory design and ground navigation within In-Space Systems. We are growing ATX to navigate missions to the Moon and Mars using high-thrust and electric propulsion, and to build an operational deep-space navigation capability from the ground up. In this hands-on role, you will independently own significant portions of the navigation process for an entire mission, spanning analysis, software development, and live flight operations, helping shape how our team navigates for years to come.

Requirements

• M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field with 5+ years of relevant experience, or a Ph.D. with 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong working knowledge of astrodynamics, orbital mechanics, and statistical orbit determination and estimation theory, including batch least squares, sequential filtering, and covariance analysis.
• Demonstrated experience performing radiometric orbit determination using Doppler and range measurements, including modeling, reconstructing, and calibrating high-thrust maneuvers.
• Proficiency in at least one of Python, Julia, or C++, with experience developing and testing analysis or operational software.
• Applied experience with orbit determination tools such as Monte, STK/ODTK, FreeFlyer, or GMAT.
• Experience supporting spacecraft mission operations, mission rehearsals, or comparable time-critical operational environments.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, scope ambiguous technical problems, and deliver results with minimal oversight.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presenting technical results in design reviews and authoring technical documentation.
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience navigating spacecraft in cislunar or interplanetary environments, including interfacing with the Deep Space Network.
• Experience navigating spacecraft with electric propulsion, including modeling and estimating continuous low-thrust accelerations.
• Applied orbit determination experience in the Monte toolkit, including infusing algorithms into operational flight dynamics software.
• Experience processing real flight tracking data, including Doppler, range, or Delta-DOR measurements.
• Experience developing or validating dynamical and measurement models for high-fidelity orbit determination.
• End-to-end mission lifecycle experience (SRR, PDR, CDR, ORR, rehearsals), including live navigation operations during mission-critical events, ideally on a deep-space mission.
• Experience owning a navigation product for a mission phase, such as an orbit determination setup, navigation plan, or operations procedure.
• Experience mentoring engineers and communicating effectively across a distributed team.
• Experience with DevOps practices and tooling, including configuration control, CI/CD, code review, Jira, git, Docker, Terraform, and Ansible.
• Experience using generative AI tools to expedite and automate your workflow.
• Current TS/SCI clearance with polygraph, or willingness to obtain and maintain one.

Responsibilities

• Drive navigation through requirements definition, pre-launch orbit determination and covariance analysis, gated reviews, mission rehearsals, and flight operations. Author navigation plans, analysis reports, and operations procedures.
• Define filter strategies, estimated parameters, and tracking data requirements. Process Doppler, range, and Delta-DOR data to generate orbit solutions for cislunar and interplanetary spacecraft, accounting for long light times, solar conjunction, and planetary gravity and atmosphere modeling. Communicate solution quality, uncertainty, and risk to mission leadership.
• Perform live navigation operations through launch, cruise (including low-thrust phases), trajectory correction maneuvers, planetary approach, and orbit insertion, making solution-acceptance and maneuver-readiness recommendations under real-time constraints. Partner with ATX trajectory designers on maneuver design inputs, delivery accuracy, and maneuver reconstruction and calibration.
• Develop and test navigation algorithms and data processing tools in Python, Julia, C++, and Monte. Partner with the flight dynamics software architect to infuse them into ATX's Monte-based flight dynamics system.
• Define model-fidelity requirements, and develop and validate force models (gravity fields, solar radiation pressure, atmospheric drag, and third-body effects), measurement models, and simulation tools for high-fidelity navigation analysis.
• Automate orbit determination, tracking data processing, and navigation product workflows as ATX scales toward fleet-level operations, including through generative AI.
• Work with ATX, flight operations, systems engineering, and external tracking-network partners. Represent navigation in reviews, and mentor junior navigators.
• Scope, estimate, and plan work in deliverable increments, using tools such as Jira and git.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior