Spacecraft Orbiter Guidance, Navigation, and Control System Engineer at ispace, inc. – Tokyo

ispace is looking for Spacecraft Orbiter Guidance, Navigation, and Control System Engineer to join our growing team in Tokyo.

You will lead the end-to-end development of the lunar lander’s orbiter system—including design, verification, and operations—from the perspective of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem. Define and manage requirements for the GNC subsystem, including sensors, software and other hardware components. Manage technical coordination and interface alignment with other subsystems. Manage the integrity and performance of GNC algorithms in the FSW development and deliverables. Support mission operations and preparation activities.

GNCFSWGNC

(1) Join our engineering team overseeing the entire lunar lander orbiter system, supporting end-to-end development—design, verification, and operations—from the perspective of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem.

(2) Develop orbiter GNC design and perform GNC-related analysis (such as guidance law design and analysis, control law design and performance analysis, thruster duty analysis, DV analysis, attitude dynamics analysis, sloshing and flexible dynamics, navigation filter design, covariance analysis, various GNC sensor evaluation, etc) by using control engineering tools as well as software development activities.

(3) Design the system and the orbiter Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem using FMECA (Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis) and MCFMA (Mission Critical Fault and Mitigation Analysis) methodologies.

(4) Plan, implement, and execute comprehensive verification and validation activities for the orbiter system, spanning from component-level (GNC sensors) to system-level tests (SCLT, DOLT, DCLT). These include nominal, off-nominal, and fault simulations for orbit operations.

(5) Define OGNC flight software/algorithm requirement specifications

(6) Develop GNC subsystem requirements, design, constraints, and operations with a deep understanding of the technical coordinations and interface alignments with systems engineering and other subsystems (propulsion, structures, thermal, avionics, flight software, mission planning, and operations).

(7) Define OGNC unit specifications as flow-down of the OGNC system requirements and design specifications

(8) Support lander system design with providing GNC feasibility studies and design inputs for the key system design trade-offs such as actuator and sensor configuration and selection, component layout, controlability, delta V, RCS budget, etc.

(9) Support the selection, verification, and operational readiness of key orbiter system components—such as Sun sensors, IMUs, star trackers and propulsion—from both technical and theoretical perspectives.
(10) Design and support throubleshooting activities of GNC FSW algorithms and components and propose solutions to mitigate errors and misbehaviors in the GNC subsystem.

(11) Document the technical specifications of the GNC subsystem with a deep understanding of the functions and relations with other subsystems.

(1) GNC

(2) DVGNC

(3) FMECAFaulure Mode, Effects, and Criticality AnalysisMCFMAMission Critical Fault and Mitigation AnalysisGNC

(4) GNCSCLT, DOLT, DCLT
(5) GNC

(6) GNC

(7) GNCGNC

(8) VRCSGNC

(9) IMU/

(10) GNC FSWGNC

(11) GNC

5+ years of experience in developing Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystems, including algorithm and sensors

5+ years of experience in spacecraft systems engineering (including Failure mode analysis)

Good understanding of software capabilities and functionalities in languages like C/C++, Python, etc.

Experience using software control systems like Git

Experience in closed loop frameworks (MIL, SIL, PIL, HIL, etc.) with proven experience in developing sensor/actuators models and interfaces such as Sun sensors, IMUs, star trackers and propulsion systems

Hands-on experience with system-level testing for spacecraft (SCLT, DOLT, DCLT)

Strong sense of initiative, continuous improvement mindset, and ability to work effectively as a team player

Excellent communication skills

Business level English communication skill

5

5

C/C++Python

Git

MILSILPILHILIMU/

SCLT, DOLT, DCLT

10+ years of experience in developing Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystems, including algorithm and sensors

10+ years of experience of systems engineering within the space industry

Experience of spacecraft operation

Experience of MATLAB/Simulink

Experience of software integration with different programming languages, C/C++, Python, Matlab, etc.

Experience in real time FSW implementations

Business level Japanese communication skill (speaking and writing)

10

10

MATLAB/Simulink

C/C++PythonMatlab

FSW