Senior Software Engineer, Orbits R&D

Position Overview

• Location Type: Remote (United States or Canada) / Onsite (San Francisco, DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, The Netherlands)
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Company: Planet

Planet is a space and data company dedicated to using space to help life on Earth. We design, build, and operate the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history, delivering a revolutionary dataset to commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. We strive to create a people-centric culture and iterate in a way that puts our team members first. Join Planet and be a part of our mission to change the way people see the world.

Responsibilities

• Research, design, and architect new software solutions for managing Flight Dynamics and Mission Planning needs for Planet's increasingly diverse fleets of satellites.
• Work on complex applied mathematics problems with aerospace engineers, and provide them with software mentorship.
• Directly contribute to Planet’s success by improving the operations of its existing fleets of satellites, alongside enabling future missions.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in computer science, aerospace engineering, physics, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of total relevant experience.
• Software development experience in C++ and Python.

Additional Information

• The Flight Dynamics disciplines include mission design, orbit determination, maneuver design and execution (with propulsion and differential-drag), and conjunction assessment & mitigation.
• Mission Planning is concerned with optimal scheduling of imaging and contacts for Planet’s Dove, SkySat, Pelican, and Tanager constellations.
• This role involves developing constellation-level automation tools.
• Opportunity to mentor and establish the team’s software strategy.