Turion Space is seeking a talented and experienced Rendezvous Proximity Operations Engineer to join our team in Irvine, CA. As an RPO Engineer, you will play a key role in the design, development, and implementation of navigation algorithms for our small satellite missions. As our team is responsible for the full life-cycle of RPO GN&C development, from design through to unit, hardware-in-the-loop, on-vehicle functionality, and flight testing, we are looking for a dedicated individual to spearhead the development and testing efforts surrounding our sensor suite. You will have the opportunity to lead projects, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to the overall technical strategy of our satellite programs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work hands-on testing and characterizing navigation sensors and hardware, including IMUs, electro-optical, laser-based, and thermal sensors
• Contribute to the development and deployment of embedded software, including sensor I/O
• Develop vision-aided navigation and sensor fusion algorithms for relative spacecraft navigation
• Develop and execute component-level navigation test programs, including sensor characterization, sensor modeling, and integrated on-vehicle testing
• Develop and execute test programs for embedded navigation software including sensor and sensor-data management using Python, C, and C++
• Conduct hardware-in-the-loop testing, system certification, flight readiness activities, and real-time flight support during missions
• Debug and troubleshoot hardware and software issues in a lab environment

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. or equivalent experience in computer science, aerospace engineering, or related technical field with 3+ years of proven experience
• Experience with hardware and software integration and testing, including experience with sensor device drivers and I/O
• Experience in verification and test of embedded software and systems
• Strong software design and development skills with emphasis in Python and C. Including skills in debugging and performance optimization
• Operational knowledge of inertial and relative navigation sensors
• Experience developing special electronic test equipment and troubleshooting equipment
• Proficient in the use of standard electronic lab tests and troubleshooting equipment
• Preferred Skills and Experience
• Experience in vision-based navigation, and familiarity with image processing, and feature detection techniques
• Experience in synthesis of state estimation algorithms and Kalman filters for spacecraft navigation
• Experience in the development of navigation systems that include measurements from optical sensors

About Turion Space
Turion Space was formed with the vision of building the technology required for humanity's interplanetary future. To achieve this goal, Turion Space is building low-earth-orbit spacecraft to move things around in space and gather Space Domain Awareness (SDA) data when we're not, ensuring continuous value generation. Turion Space aims to build the highest delta-V per dollar space transport vehicles and is launching the DROID.001 mission in June 2023, and DROID.002 in June 2024.