{"id":2620950,"url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-senior-gnc-engineer","title":"Senior GNC Engineer","company":{"id":185145,"name":"Vast Space","domain":"vastspace.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/vastspace","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":85,"open_postings":61,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.607,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":51,"computed_at":"2026-11-07T05:47:08Z"}},"role":"Aerospace","role_family":"Aerospace","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Long Beach, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":150000,"max_usd":271000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":265},"experience_years_min":6,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Digital Twin","optional":false},{"name":"Human-in-the-Loop","optional":false},{"name":"Agile","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-06-04T17:00:01Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-20","last_verified_at":"2026-11-07T23:44:12Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":156,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":[],"days_open":155},"description":"Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station to ensure a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite, a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.\nHeadquartered inLong Beach, California, and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy.\nVast is seeking a Senior GNC Engineer to own guidance, navigation, and control for a new constellation-ready spacecraft bus - a product line designed to scale to hundreds of spacecraft per year. \nThe satellite bus uses a CMG-based attitude control system - four Vast Mini CMGs in a pyramid configuration. ADCS performance is a defining capability of the bus - it's what enables high-power payloads that demand precise pointing and rapid slew. You'll own the GNC algorithms, simulation environment, sensor suite definition, and pointing performance for the satellite.\nThis is end-to-end ADCS ownership: from architecture trades and algorithm development through 6DOF simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and on-orbit commissioning. You'll engage directly with payload customers on pointing and stability requirements, and you'll define the CMG and sensor performance specs that drive hardware development and procurement across the program.\nThis will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. \nResponsibilities: \nDefine the ADCS architecture - CMG pyramid configuration, sensor suite selection, pointing modes (nadir+yaw steer, LVLH fixed, 3-axis sun tracking)\nDevelop GNC algorithms - attitude determination, CMG steering law (including singularity avoidance), momentum management, desaturation strategy\nOwn the pointing budget - pointing accuracy, stability, jitter, and smear allocation across the sensor and actuator chain\nDefine the simulation strategy - determine how the spacecraft design, simulation, and digital twin tool and Vast’s flight-validated 6DOF physics sim (GTsim) work together, what fidelity is needed for upfront system design vs flight readiness\nBuild and validate the 6DOF simulation environment\nDefine CMG performance requirements - momentum capacity, gimbal rate, gimbal limits, pyramid angle - feeding the electronics lead for box design\nDefine sensor performance requirements - star tracker, IMU, sun sensor, magnetometer, GNSS receiver accuracy and noise specs (feeding the procurement lead for vendor selection)\nSupport CMG Rev 1 bring-up with closed-loop testing\nDefine and commission the HITL (hardware-in-the-loop) lab - flight processor, spoofed I/O, real-time simulation\nMagnetic field modeling for torque rod sizing\nRun Monte Carlo analysis campaigns to demonstrate pointing performance and flight readiness\nAssess flexible body dynamics - structural mode coupling with large solar arrays and cantilevered payloads, define appendage first-mode frequency requirements for structures\nEngage directly with payload customers on pointing and stability requirements - assess feasibility on the bus, define GNC data interfaces, and negotiate what we can support\nEnsure controllability during electric propulsion maneuvers - coordinate with the EP team on thrust vector, disturbance torques, and momentum impact\nBuild a GNC team as the program scales - define roles and hire as complexity demands\nSupport on-orbit commissioning planning for ADCS\nMinimum Qualifications:\nBachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline\n6+ years of spacecraft GNC or ADCS development experience\nGNC algorithm development experience for spacecraft - attitude determination, control law design, actuator management\nExperience with reaction wheels or CMGs - actuator sizing, control allocation, momentum management\nBuilt and validated 6DOF spacecraft simulations\nPointing budget development and allocation across sensor/actuator chains\nHITL test environment design and execution\nComfortable working from architecture trades through flight software implementation\nStrong dynamics and controls fundamentals\nPreferred Qualifications:\nAble to obtain a security clearance\nCMG experience - steering laws, singularity avoidance, pyramid configuration optimization\nMomentum management for LEO spacecraft (magnetic desaturation, gravity gradient)\nStar tracker and IMU selection / characterization experience\nAgile / small-sat GNC development - you've done this with a small team on a fast timeline\nGNC flight software implementation experience\nPay Range: California\n$159,900—$226,980 USD\nWe calibrate level and compensation to the selected candidate's experience and demonstrated capability. We welcome applicants across a range of experience levels to apply.\nCOMPENSATION AND BENEFITS\n\nBase salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks, including: medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, generous paid time off; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff with the ability to cash-out unused vacation annually, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks. We also take pride in offering exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee & onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized as part of Vast’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees.\n\nU.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS\n The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.\nEQUAL OPPORTUNITY\nVast is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Vast 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7548,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":6,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Life insurance","Parental leave","Retirement plans"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Manufacturing","Space & Aerospace","Aerospace Manufacturing","Satellite Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-15T13:23:20Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":13,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.454,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":155,"expected_fill_days":51,"reasons":["conf:2","stale_co","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-07T05:47:08Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-senior-gnc-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/vastspace-senior-gnc-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-08T00:26:17Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":962,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-09T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":185145},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=185145"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fvastspace-senior-gnc-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fvastspace-senior-gnc-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fvastspace-senior-gnc-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/vastspace-senior-gnc-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fvastspace-senior-gnc-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":2620950}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"vastspace.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":2620950},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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