Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA. Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Simulation Software Engineer

• As a Simulation Software Engineer on the GNC team, you will design, develop, and test our high-fidelity spacecraft simulation that is used to validate the software that controls our satellites while in orbit.
• You will improve the core simulation infrastructure and collaborate with engineering teams across the company to model new systems and add interesting new features to the simulator.
• Role
• Design, develop, and maintain software for our high-fidelity software simulation platform
• Implement and improve software- and hardware-in-the-loop simulations to validate satellite software and flight algorithms
• Accelerate the software development process through infrastructure improvements
• Develop and enhance Monte Carlo simulation tooling for assessing system performance under various conditions
• Incorporate physics-based models into simulation
• Develop analysis and visualization tooling to provide insight into our system
• Support GNC operations for our fleet of satellites, including on-console and on-call rotations

Support in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly-growing team

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent background experience
• 2-5+ years in software or building simulations of complex physical systems
• 2-5+ years experience with Python or other high-level object-oriented programming language(s)
• Ability to effectively collaborate with interdisciplinary teams on large software projects
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Highly motivated, self-starting, and able to perform duties autonomously without much supervision
• Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.
• Bonus
• Understanding of classical or modern control theory, and basic orbital mechanics
• Knowledge of memory management, threading, and interprocess communication techniques
• Experience building and maintaining software infrastructure used across teams
• Experience in statistical analysis techniques and Monte Carlo simulation
• Experience with C/C++
• Experience with AI tooling and agentic workflows
• Experience with databases

Experience with spacecraft design

What we offer:

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits. (To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Base pay is just one component of Astranis’s total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high-quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on-site catered meals. Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional-grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position. Base Salary $120,000 — $175,000 USD U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.