Moonshot Aerospace

Role Description Moonshot Aerospace is seeking a Position, Navigation, & Timing (PNT) Analyst specializing in Orbit Determination (OD) and ground navigation to support cislunar and planetary spacecraft programs for commercial and government customers. Programs include the Human Landing System (HLS), Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), lunar data relay networks, and related civil and commercial space efforts. This is an analysis-focused position requiring deep expertise in orbit determination, navigation measurement modeling, and PNT system architecture for cislunar environments. The analyst will develop and execute orbit determination solutions, design navigation measurement strategies, perform covariance and sensitivity analyses, and contribute to satellite constellation architecture optimization. Proficiency with JPL MONTE or equivalent orbit determination and trajectory analysis tools is required. Multiple experience levels are available, and responsibilities will scale with demonstrated capability. Responsibilities - Develop, test, and execute orbit determination solutions for cislunar and lunar spacecraft using MONTE or equivalent tools - Design and analyze navigation measurement strategies including GNSS, optical navigation, ground-based range and Doppler, and inter-satellite link measurements - Develop and maintain navigation error budgets and perform covariance analysis for orbit determination accuracy assessment - Perform sensitivity analyses for design trade space evaluation, requirements definition, and performance validation - Develop, test, and document Kalman filter designs for onboard and ground-based orbit determination and clock estimation - Support satellite constellation architecture optimization including orbit selection, coverage analysis, and PNT geometry evaluation - Develop and validate measurement error models for GNSS, optical navigation, and ground-based tracking observations - Perform Monte Carlo analyses to verify orbit determination and PNT system performance under dispersed conditions - Conduct research and development for cislunar PNT concepts and technologies - Contribute to technical documentation, conference papers, and customer presentations - Collaborate across navigation, systems engineering, and mission design teams Qualifications - U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance - M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Astrodynamics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field - 5+ years of professional experience in orbit determination, ground navigation, or PNT system analysis for spacecraft - Proficiency with JPL MONTE or equivalent orbit determination and trajectory analysis tools (ODTK, GEONS, GMAT, or similar) - Demonstrated experience with Kalman filter design and covariance analysis for spacecraft orbit determination - Experience developing navigation measurement models and error budgets - Strong programming skills in Python, C/C++, and MATLAB for analysis tool development and automation - Understanding of spacecraft dynamics, orbital mechanics, and astrodynamics - Experience with sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo methods for navigation performance verification - Effective written and verbal communication skills Preferred Qualifications - Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Astrodynamics, or related field with focus on orbit determination or navigation - 8+ years of orbit determination or ground navigation experience on spacecraft programs - Cislunar or lunar orbit determination experience, including weak-gravity and multi-body dynamics environments - Experience with satellite constellation design and optimization, including coverage analysis and PNT geometry evaluation - GNSS signal processing and receiver performance analysis for space-based applications - Optical navigation measurement modeling and image-based navigation techniques - Clock estimation and oscillator modeling for PNT applications - Two-way time transfer or inter-satellite link measurement analysis - Experience with multiple OD tools across the MONTE, ODTK, GEONS, and GMAT ecosystem - Conference publications or journal articles in orbit determination, navigation, or PNT - Satellite or deep space mission operations experience

Role Description Moonshot Aerospace is seeking a Staff Navigation Engineer to lead spacecraft navigation system design and analysis. Initial assignments will support navigation system development for lunar lander, cislunar orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), and related spacecraft programs for commercial and government customers, including the Human Landing System (HLS) and Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). This is a navigation-focused position requiring deep experience in Kalman filter design, spacecraft state estimation, and navigation sensor integration for cislunar and planetary environments. The engineer will serve as a technical authority on navigation architecture and will be expected to independently drive navigation system development from requirements through flight operations support. Multiple experience levels are available, and responsibilities will scale with demonstrated capability. - Design, develop, and tune navigation filters (EKF) for lunar lander, OTV, and related spacecraft applications - Define navigation system architecture for cislunar and planetary mission phases including sensor selection, measurement models, and filter configuration - Develop navigation error budgets and perform covariance analysis for orbit determination and powered descent - Implement navigation algorithms in flight software and support SWIL/HWIL integration and test - Perform Monte Carlo analysis to verify navigation performance under dispersed conditions across cislunar and descent phases - Develop and validate sensor models (IMU, star tracker, GPS/GNSS, LiDAR, optical navigation camera) for lunar and cislunar environments - Support navigation sensor testing, calibration, and characterization - Contribute to technical documentation, peer reviews, and customer presentations - Collaborate across GN&C, flight software, and systems engineering teams Qualifications - U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance - B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field - 5+ years of professional experience in spacecraft navigation system design and analysis - Demonstrated experience designing and implementing Kalman filters for spacecraft applications - Experience with navigation sensor integration and testing (IMU, star tracker, GPS, LiDAR) - Strong programming skills in C/C++, Python, and MATLAB - Experience with spacecraft dynamics and orbital mechanics - Familiarity with real-time software systems and flight software integration - Effective written and verbal communication skills Preferred Qualifications - M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field - 8+ years of navigation engineering experience on spacecraft programs - Lunar or cislunar navigation experience, including orbit determination and powered descent navigation - Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), optical navigation, or image-based navigation for lunar surface operations - Experience with navigation analysis tools (MONTE, GEONS, ODTK, or equivalent) - Multi-sensor fusion and relative navigation for rendezvous and proximity operations - Hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) navigation sensor integration and test - Experience with NASA Trick simulation framework or equivalent - Conference publications or technical papers in spacecraft navigation - Launch vehicle or satellite navigation experience

Role Description Moonshot Aerospace is seeking a Guidance, Navigation & Control Engineer to support spacecraft and planetary lander programs for commercial and government customers. Programs include the Human Landing System (HLS), Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), and other civil and commercial space efforts. This position requires depth in at least one GN&C subdiscipline—navigation, guidance, or controls—combined with the ability to develop and maintain high-fidelity modeling and simulation environments for spacecraft and lander design. The engineer will contribute to algorithm development, 6DOF simulation, flight software integration, and mission performance analysis. Multiple experience levels are available, and responsibilities will scale with demonstrated capability. Responsibilities - Develop and analyze guidance, navigation, and/or control algorithms for spacecraft and lander applications - Build, maintain, and execute 6DOF simulations and associated analysis tools for mission performance verification - Implement and validate state estimation filters (EKF) or control laws depending on subdiscipline focus - Develop sensor and actuator models for simulation environments (IMU, star tracker, LiDAR, reaction control systems) - Perform Monte Carlo analysis and trade studies to characterize system performance under dispersed conditions - Support flight software integration, testing, and verification - Contribute to technical documentation, customer deliverables, and program reviews - Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams and customer organizations Qualifications - U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance - B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field - 5+ years of professional GN&C experience with spacecraft or launch vehicle systems - Demonstrated depth in at least one GN&C subdiscipline: navigation and state estimation, guidance and trajectory design, or control system design and analysis - Experience developing and executing high-fidelity spacecraft simulations (3DOF or 6DOF) - Strong programming skills in C/C++, Python, and MATLAB/Simulink - Experience with configuration management tools (Git or equivalent) - Effective written and verbal communication skills Preferred Qualifications - M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field - Lunar or planetary mission experience - Experience with Kalman filter design and tuning for spacecraft applications - Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN), optical navigation, or multi-sensor fusion experience - Rendezvous and proximity operations experience - Hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing and integration - Flight software development or real-time systems exposure - Familiarity with NASA Trick simulation framework or equivalent - Propulsion, slosh modeling, or flexible-body dynamics exposure - Launch vehicle or satellite GN&C experience