Full-Stack Satellite Engineer

Role:

Full-Stack Satellite Engineer (Contract-Based)

Location:

Washington, DC (On-site) / Arlington, VA (On-site) Scope of Services Satellite System Integration & Support Provide technical mentorship and guidance to GWU CubeSat team members. Create an efficient data logging system Create tasks that will encompass all system behaviors and states (TBR) Support full-stack integration of avionics, ADCS (Pumpkin GNSS board with existing code base), EPS, battery, solar panels, and UHF transceiver. Perform functional testing of OBC interfaces and satellite bus peripherals (UART, I2C, RS-485) Oversee and participate in the final integration of remaining hardware components as soon as procurement is complete. Design and integrate solar panels, batteries, EPS boards, and internal power harnesses. Embedded Software and Firmware Development Develop command-and-control code for the propulsion system s Power Processing Unit (PPU), enabling remote activation, pulsing, and diagnostics via ground station telemetry links. Ensure robust communication protocol design for secure and fail-safe command execution. Assist with command uplink and telemetry downlink packet structure. Work with students to test the interface with the Enduro Sat UHF transceiver. Ansys STK simulation for VLEO satellite in various environments Lab & Test Support Assist with satellite-level system testing, checkout procedures, and vacuum chamber test prep. Document all integration, test, and troubleshooting steps in a shared GitHub repo. Deliverables and Timeline By May 2026: All new components integrated and individually tested By April 2026: STK simulations for VLEO satellite By June August 2026: Satellite fully integrated, tested, and handed off to integrator By Q4 2026: Continued post-launch technical support, including telemetry analysis and troubleshooting if needed

Required Experience and Tools:

BS/MS in Aerospace, Electrical, Systems or Computer Engineering 3 6 years of experience with smallsat/CubeSat missions (preferably with full-cycle exposure: design test launch ops) Experience with satellite bus avionics, embedded coding (C/C++/Python), RF comms, and ADCS tuning Familiarity with tools like STK, GMAT, LabVIEW, Altium, or OBC SDKs (e.g., Pumpkin, GomSpace, Tyvak) Hands-on experience with hardware debugging, serial protocols, and real-time systems Exposure to FCC/ITU licensing, launch ICDs, or CubeSat interface standards Familiar with

ITAR, MIL-STD-1540/1541, NASA

GEVS, ECSS, and interface protocols for satellite buses and plasma thrusters Experience building comm protocols on Endurosat systems Experience with GNU Radio (ground station requirement) - Experience with UART and I2c drivers Familiarity with high-temperature materials and control algorithms Familiarity with

MIL-STD-1512/1540/1541, ECSS-E-ST-50, NASA

GEVS, IPC-2221 and telemetry protocols (AX.25, CCSDS)

Bonus:

Experience with VLEO, drag modeling, or orbital maintenance systems Involvement in DARPA, AFRL, NASA, or commercial flight demo programs Background in both R D environments and fast-paced space startups