Senior Optical Navigation Engineer (Lunar)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 9, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 7, 2026. Impulse Space scores A on the Alion truth index.
As a Senior Optical Navigation Engineer at Impulse Space, you will own the onboard optical navigation algorithms and software for our lunar lander across all phases of development and operation, while working in a fast-paced, agile team. You will design, implement, and validate the navigation filters and sensor-fusion techniques that land our spacecraft on the moon, as well as provide inputs on the hardware and embedded-system design.
Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and tune navigation algorithms for low-lunar-orbit (LLO) navigation, descent, and landing
- Provide inputs for the camera system that provides imagery to the terrain-relative navigation system
- Implement the terrain-relative navigation algorithms and software, performing crater detection/matching and image comparison for odometry
- Perform spacecraft navigation analyses: orbit determination, attitude determination, covariance analysis, and navigation error budgets
- Develop and validate simulated sensor and measurement models in Impulse’s 6DOF simulation environment
- Implement navigation algorithms in flight code (C++) and support SIL/HIL integration and test
- Perform Monte Carlo analysis to characterize navigation performance under dispersed and off-nominal conditions
- Generate navigation verification data for Impulse's lunar missions
- Support navigation operations: real-time orbit determination, console support, and anomaly response during critical mission phases
- Communicate navigation design needs, intent, performance, trades, and risk to the broader engineering team
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Physics, or a related discipline
- 8+ years of experience in spacecraft navigation, orbit determination, or estimation
- Experience in vision-based navigation design and implementation
- Demonstrated experience in verification, simulation, or test of navigation or perception systems
- Proficiency in Matlab and C++
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing spacecraft navigation
- Excellent technical communication skills
Preferred Skills and Experience
- 10+ years of experience in spacecraft navigation, orbit determination, or estimation
- Demonstrated experience with terrain-relative navigation, precision landing, or hazard detection
- Experience with landmark, crater, or map-relative localization and feature-tracking algorithms
- Experience with lunar or planetary map products and tools (e.g., Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imagery and digital elevation models)
- Experience with camera models, calibration, radiometry, and synthetic scene or image generation for testing
- Experience with OpNav HITLs
- Experience with navigation/astrodynamics tools (FreeFlyer, GMAT, STK, etc.)
- Experience with powered descent, entry-descent-landing, rendezvous and proximity operations, or other deep-space missions
- Experience in a startup or fast-paced, iterative hardware development environment
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.