Sr. Flight Software Engineer

Flight Software Engineer

Location: Hawthorne, CA (near LAX)

Relocation: Available

Team Size: ~20 engineers

Compensation: $90,000-$205,000 + equity (based on performance, level, and location)

About the Mission

Imagine a world where solar power doesn't shut off at sunset.

We are building a constellation of autonomous spacecraft designed to reflect sunlight back to Earth after dark-unlocking nighttime solar energy for the first time in history.

This is not theoretical.

We are launching our first spacecraft in 2026, backed by top-tier investors and led by engineers who have built and flown real hardware in orbit.

If you want to write software that will operate a fleet of autonomous spacecraft in low-Earth orbit, this is that opportunity.

What You'll Build

As a Flight Software Engineer, you will design and deploy the software that powers every spacecraft in our constellation. Your work will span:

• Autonomous decision-making and onboard control
• Real-time embedded C/C++ on ARM microcontrollers
• Embedded Linux systems for mission-critical operations
• Guidance, navigation, and control (GNC)
• Command and data handling
• Fault detection, isolation, and recovery
• Over-the-air updates to on-orbit vehicles
• Hardware-in-the-loop testing and day-in-the-life simulations

You will own your systems end-to-end-from concept and architecture to implementation, testing, and on-orbit performance.

This is a role for engineers who want to see their code fly.

What You'll Do

• Develop autonomous flight software for a new class of spacecraft
• Build the infrastructure for rigorous testing and large-scale deployment
• Implement real-time control loops, state estimation, and system health monitoring
• Design fault-tolerant software using watchdogs, voting logic, ECC, and FDIR
• Work directly with electrical, mechanical, and mission operations engineers
• Support on-orbit operations and deliver OTA updates to live spacecraft
• Contribute to architecture decisions that shape the entire constellation

Minimum Requirements

• Demonstrated excellence on a comparable software project (autonomy, robotics, flight software, or high-reliability embedded systems)
• 3+ years of professional C/C++ experience

Ideal Experience

You don't need all of these, but the strongest candidates will have several:

• BS in CS, EE, ME, or Aerospace Engineering
• Flight software experience for spacecraft or similar high-reliability systems
• ARM microcontroller development
• Embedded Linux (Yocto, Buildroot, custom kernels)
• Strong debugging, unit testing, and integration testing skills
• Networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, CAN, UART, SPI, I2C)
• Fault-tolerant software design (watchdogs, voting logic, ECC, FDIR)
• Exposure to MISRA-C, JSF, DO-178C, or similar standards
• Experience in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments

Who Thrives Here

We hire outliers -people who have done something exceptional, unusual, or bold.

Not just "good engineers," but people who have demonstrated intensity, creativity, and a track record of doing hard things.

Examples of backgrounds that stand out:

• Built a complex robotics or embedded system solo
• Led major engineering projects early in your career
• Designed custom hardware or flight computers
• Worked on spacecraft, rockets, drones, or autonomous vehicles
• Promoted rapidly due to exceptional performance
• Achieved something rare in any domain-technical or otherwise

If you've done something that made people say, "I can't believe you pulled that off," we want to talk to you.

Why This Role Is Different

• Your code will fly on every spacecraft we launch
• You will work directly with founders and senior engineers
• You will have ownership over major subsystems
• You will see your work go from idea → hardware → orbit quickly
• You will help define a new category of space technology

This is a chance to build something the world has never seen before.