Spacecraft Navigation Engineer

Advanced Space seeks a Spacecraft Navigation Engineer for its Westminster, Colorado headquarters to develop and refine spacecraft navigation algorithms and analyses for ambitious cislunar and lunar exploration missions. This full-time, on-site position offers a base salary range of $115,500–$148,400 and a comprehensive benefits package.

About This Position

You'll join a multidisciplinary engineering team advancing humanity's lunar return and pioneering innovative space technology solutions. This role centers on designing and validating navigation systems that enable precise spacecraft control, trajectory prediction, and mission success. Your work will directly support Advanced Space's ongoing flight programs, including CAPSTONE—an Artemis pathfinder mission operating in a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit at the Earth-Moon L2 point—and Oracle, an Air Force Research Lab mission dedicated to space domain awareness at the Moon. Based in our Westminster offices, you'll work five days weekly during core business hours alongside mission designers, flight operations specialists, and cross-functional teams spanning multiple concurrent programs. This role fills an immediate hiring need.

Your Responsibilities

• Conduct spacecraft navigation analyses encompassing orbit determination, trajectory reconstruction, and covariance assessment.
• Configure, optimize, and validate Kalman filters and alternative state estimators for radiometric, optical, and GPS measurement types.
• Establish and execute navigation tool chains including MONTE, FreeFlyer, ODTK, and GMAT with accurate force and measurement modeling.
• Assist with navigation operations activities such as console support, routine orbit determination updates, and operational procedure refinement.
• Present navigation analysis results and technical recommendations to mission stakeholders and customer teams.
• Identify navigation requirements, plan technical tasks, and coordinate workload across program phases.
• Contribute to independent research and development and business development pursuits.

Skills & Qualifications

• 5–8 years of professional experience in spacecraft navigation, orbit determination, or related astrodynamics roles.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or related field.
• Demonstrated expertise applying Kalman filters or comparable state estimation algorithms, including configuration, tuning, and diagnostics.
• Working proficiency with one or more major navigation and astrodynamics platforms such as MONTE, FreeFlyer, ODTK, GMAT, or STK.
• Solid understanding of tracking measurement types—range, Doppler, angular measurements, GPS, optical systems—and their effects on estimation accuracy and observability.
• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or analogous programming environments for automating analyses and processing navigation data.
• Excellent analytical capabilities and communication skills for conveying technical findings to varied professional audiences.
• U.S. Person status (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) eligible to work on-site in Westminster, Colorado without visa sponsorship.

Additional strengths include: Experience leading or supporting spacecraft flight operations and orbit determination workflows; active participation in spacecraft development phases; knowledge of cislunar and three-body orbital dynamics including Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits and Lagrange points; MONTE expertise for orbit determination and covariance investigations; understanding of timing errors, clock synchronization, and tracking network constraints; contributions to navigation-related proposals and research initiatives; current or previous security clearance eligibility.

About the Company

Advanced Space leads humanity's return to the Moon and drives innovation in space technology. Our Westminster, Colorado headquarters houses teams working on pioneering spacecraft navigation, mission design, and technology development. We provide signing bonuses, quarterly performance bonuses, company-provided health insurance and 401(k) plans, fully stocked break rooms, and relocation assistance to support our growing team of talented engineers advancing the space industry.

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