Orbit Determination Engineer / Astrodynamicist
Role Overview
This is a future role; the company is building a shortlist and will contact candidates when the role opens.
The role develops orbit determination products from laser-ranging data for customers and station operations.
Key Skills for This Role
Full Job Posting
Role overview
This is a future role; the company is building a shortlist and will contact candidates when the role opens.
The role develops orbit determination products from laser-ranging data for customers and station operations.
What you'll do
- Develop and run precise orbit determination using laser-ranging and other tracking data.
- Model gravity, drag, solar radiation pressure, relativity, and station and spacecraft offsets.
- Build orbit prediction and ephemeris products for customers and station pointing.
- Validate against independent orbits and quantify uncertainty.
- Turn algorithms into robust, tested software on the data platform.
- Work with customers on use of orbit products.
What you'll bring
- MSc or PhD, or equivalent experience, in astrodynamics, aerospace engineering, or physics.
- Hands-on orbit determination with real tracking data, including batch least squares and Kalman filtering.
- Experience with Orekit, GMAT, GEODYN, ODTK, or your own tools.
- Strong Python, C++, or Java skills.
- Solid grasp of time systems and reference frames.
Nice to have
- SLR, GNSS, or DORIS processing.
- Space situational awareness or conjunction assessment.
- Covariance realism and flight dynamics operations.
Work arrangement
- The position is full-time and on-site in London.
What the company offers
- High-impact role with real ownership at an early-stage, venture-backed space technology company.
- EMI share options for UK employees, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, enhanced parental leave, and cycle-to-work schemes.
- Work with engineers and scientists across optics, lasers, software, and astrodynamics; central London offices and regular socials.
About Foundational
Foundational builds autonomous satellite laser-ranging stations, a data platform for tracking data and orbit products, and laser retroreflector arrays.
Its expanding station network supports navigation, Earth observation, and safe and sustainable use of space.
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