Spacecraft Flight Computing Engineer

The Exploration Company-posted 3 months ago
Los Angeles, CA
101-250 employees
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Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run. The Exploration Company is seeking a highly skilled Spacecraft Flight Computing Engineer with expertise in real-time, fault-tolerant computer systems running a RTOS and/or Linux. This role is focused on hands-on hardware and software development, with an emphasis on building systems resilient to radiation effects in space environments. The engineer will also apply knowledge of IP networking, including Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP), to enable deterministic, synchronized communication across spacecraft subsystems.

  • Design, implement, and maintain real-time embedded computing systems for spacecraft avionics.
  • Apply fault-tolerant computing techniques to ensure reliable operation in the presence of radiation-induced upsets and anomalies.
  • Develop and optimize our RTOS and Linux-based real-time operating environments, including kernel configuration, bootloader, device drivers, and system-level performance tuning.
  • Perform hardware design tasks, including schematic capture, PCB layout, and component selection using Altium Designer, with emphasis on radiation-tolerant design practices.
  • Develop, synthesize, and validate FPGA designs (VHDL/Verilog), incorporating mitigation strategies such as TMR, ECC, and scrubbing.
  • Design, configure, and troubleshoot IP networking protocols, with focus on TSN for deterministic networking and PTP for precise time synchronization across spacecraft systems.
  • Conduct system integration, hardware/software debugging, and fault injection testing to verify robustness under radiation and fault conditions.
  • Collaborate closely with flight software, avionics, and systems engineering teams to define computing, networking, and interface requirements.
  • Support mission operations through anomaly resolution and post-flight analysis of radiation-induced effects such as SEUs and TID.
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
  • Strong proficiency in C/C++ and Python for embedded software development and automation.
  • Hands-on experience with real-time systems and Linux-based embedded computing.
  • Practical expertise in fault-tolerant computing methods (redundancy, checkpoint/restart, graceful degradation).
  • Knowledge of IP networking protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, routing, switching) with direct experience implementing TSN and PTP in real-time or mission-critical environments.
  • Understanding of radiation effects on electronics and software, with experience implementing mitigation strategies at multiple system levels.
  • Experience with system-level debugging tools and hardware/software integration.
  • Strong skills in writing, debugging and performance tuning low-level software for Linux and/or a RTOS, including the bootloader and device drivers.
  • Strong skills in hardware design using Altium Designer and/or Cadence Allegro for schematics and PCB layout.
  • Solid background in FPGA development (VHDL/Verilog, synthesis, simulation, timing closure, hardware validation).
  • Familiarity with modern multi-core ARM-based System-on-Chip hardware, including the internal architecture.
  • Experience writing bare-metal code.
  • Exposure to radiation testing (heavy-ion, proton, or TID) and analysis.
  • Background in hardware-software co-design for reliability and fault-tolerance.
  • Prior hands-on experience supporting space missions.
  • Competitive compensation
  • Comprehensive benefits
  • Opportunities for technical growth
  • Relocation assistance including visa sponsorship where applicable
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