Job Description

About Us:

Space Machines Company (SMC) is an Australian startup developing in-space logistics and transportation capabilities to cost-effectively insert small satellites into desired low earth orbits(LEO), geostationary earth orbits (GEO) and lunar orbits. SMC spacecrafts are also designed to maintain, refuel, repair and decommission satellites and other spacecraft.

The opportunity:

This role will serve as the technical authority for Space Machine Company's spacecraft. Your work will encompass the entire spacecraft mission life cycle: mission objectives and scope, concept of operations (CONOPS) development, spacecraft and mission design, space vehicle integration and test, launch and on-orbit flight operations. You will be responsible for all facets of the mission design, including definition of operational concepts, on-orbit procedures development, and creating advanced innovative methods for flight operations unique to each of our missions. A great candidate will demonstrate the ability to influence without authority, composure in high-pressure situations, in-depth knowledge the entire space mission, and an ability to respond to calmly resolve potential anomalous scenarios in real-time.

Responsibilities:

• Support every aspect of the mission lifecycle, from proposal/mission modeling, design, integration and test, space vehicle shipment, launch and on-orbit operations, to decommissioning
• Define ground and mission operations requirements, and flow mission requirements back to the space vehicle
• Define mission concept of operation and design reference missions
• Design the ground segment, including command and control, mission planning, mission data processing, and the associated infrastructure to support all activities
• Provide mission operations input to space vehicle fault and autonomy, including fault detection and response, autonomous space vehicle behaviour, and on-board command and control
• Develop and implement methods of operational automation, to reduce day-to-day operator responsibilities
• Create and execute space vehicle simulator tests to validate mission/fault/autonomy design
• Create and execute in-factory flight vehicle tests to validate mission design compatibility with flight hardware
• Conduct critical ground segment testing, including radio-frequency compatibility testing, remote ground facility interface testing, and acceptance testing of critical ground assets/locations
• Design and validate the mission "sequence of events" for bus commissioning, payload checkout/calibration, and mission operations
• Plan and lead formal Mission Rehearsal events to train the mission team and to validate the mission design
• Collaborate with a team of spacecraft and subsystem engineers during launch and early operations to commission the space vehicle(s) for service
• Perform duties of technical authority during mission operations for both the space and ground segments
• Focal for internal leadership during critical mission activities
• Provide oversight of nominal on-orbit operations of on-orbit spacecraft
• Participation in pre-sales activities
• Other duties as required.

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Software, Computer, Mechanical Engineering, or related physical sciences
• Experience with real-time satellite command and control
• Working knowledge of satellite subsystems, ground systems and space missions
• Willingness to support occasional off-nominal working hours during critical 24/7 mission operations activities
• Knowledge of orbital dynamics, maneuver planning, and orbit determination techniques