The Role
Lead design, implementation, testing, and verification of navigation, localization, and perception systems for lunar rovers. Guide a small engineering team, integrate algorithms with flight software, devise and run hardware test campaigns in simulated/analog lunar environments, and ensure systems meet NASA human-rated requirements through validation and operations support.
Summary Generated by Built In
Astrolab is The Lunar Operations Company. We design and build the systems and hardware the lunar economy will come to depend on — rovers, power, and data networks for sustained operations on the Moon. We are focused on the problems that must be solved before the next chapter of human exploration can scale. The Moon does not forgive untested assumptions. The people who work here know that, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
The Lead Rover Navigation and Perception Engineer will be responsible for the design, tuning, analysis, and characterization of the navigation and perception system for Astrolab’s extra-terrestrial rovers. The Lead Rover Navigation and Perception Engineer will work closely with the flight software team to implement and test all of the rover navigation and perception algorithms. This position is a technical leadership position with an expectation that the lead will also be doing hands on work as part of the rover guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) team to design, characterize, and test the vehicle navigation and perception system. The Lead Rover Navigation and Perception Engineer will devise test campaigns to be executed with real hardware in simulated and analog lunar environments and work with the team to execute the tests.
Note: Some travel may be required for this position
The Lead Rover Navigation and Perception Engineer will be responsible for the design, tuning, analysis, and characterization of the navigation and perception system for Astrolab’s extra-terrestrial rovers. The Lead Rover Navigation and Perception Engineer will work closely with the flight software team to implement and test all of the rover navigation and perception algorithms. This position is a technical leadership position with an expectation that the lead will also be doing hands on work as part of the rover guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) team to design, characterize, and test the vehicle navigation and perception system. The Lead Rover Navigation and Perception Engineer will devise test campaigns to be executed with real hardware in simulated and analog lunar environments and work with the team to execute the tests.
Note: Some travel may be required for this position
What you'll do:
- Lead a small team of engineers to design, characterize, test, verify, and validate localization and perception systems for extra-terrestrial rovers
- Bring a navigation and perception solution from early design through flight operations on an aggressive schedule for Astrolab’s CLV-1 lunar rover
- Work closely with the software team to implement and test navigation, perception, and obstacle avoidance flight software
- Ensure that extra-terrestrial rover navigation and perception solutions are robust, upgradable during flight, and practical
- Devise, supervise, and execute navigation and perception system testing with real sensors and flight computers using a test vehicle operating in simulated lunar conditions
- Ensure that navigation and perception system meet performance and NASA human rated spacecraft system requirements
What you'll bring:
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- 10+ years designing, developing, and testing navigation, localization, and perception systems for rovers, autonomous vehicles, GPS-denied vehicle navigation systems, or similar autonomous or robotic platforms.
- Experience with practical sensor fusion and Kalman filtering for wheeled vehicle navigation and perception, with specific experience using sensors with widely different modalities to determine robust navigation and perception solutions (e.g. IMU, lidar, radar, star tracker, etc.)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience designing, tuning, developing, analyzing, characterizing, verifying, and validating navigation and perception solutions for wheeled vehicles
- Experience developing, testing, and characterizing obstacle detection and avoidance algorithms for wheeled vehicles
- Experience dealing with real world issues that affect navigation/localization/perception system design and performance, such as invalid data, dropped packets, data latencies, blurry images, and similar
- Experience supporting a navigation/localization system through the entire lifecycle, from early design through live vehicle operations
- Experience in C++ and Python programming
Benefits and Perks
- Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
- Equity ownership in the company
- Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
- 401(k) plan with company match
- Flexible PTO and parental leave
- Home office set up reimbursement
- Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
- Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks
About
Having a strong, inclusive, and inspired team is essential to accomplishing our bold mission. Employees are our biggest asset, and we are deeply committed to them and our values. At Astrolab we…Demonstrate and inspire trust. Interactions are direct, honest, and respectful. We are fair and transparent with what we do and why.Thrive in balance. Balance gives us perspective and keeps us motivated and inspired. We commit to rewarding work and a fulfilling personal life. Seek diverse perspectives. We ask questions, engage in productive debate and offer alternatives to ensure our solutions and products are robust and a reflection of our collective best.Move with purpose. Quality and reliability are accomplished through efficient ideation and iteration. We act with a sense of urgency and deliver what we promise, always with the big picture in mind.Make an impact. We intentionally move our community and industry into the future through our work, practices, and actions.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM field or equivalent experience
- 10+ years designing, developing, and testing navigation, localization, and perception systems for rovers, autonomous vehicles, or GPS-denied platforms
- Practical sensor fusion and Kalman filtering experience using diverse sensors (IMU, LiDAR, Radar, star tracker)
- Experience designing, tuning, and validating navigation and perception solutions for wheeled vehicles
- Experience developing, testing, and characterizing obstacle detection and avoidance algorithms
- Experience handling real-world data issues (invalid data, dropped packets, latencies, blurry images)
- Experience supporting navigation/localization through full lifecycle from design through live vehicle operations
- Experience in C++ and Python programming
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The Company
What We Do
Astrolab designs and develops robotic mobility systems for planetary exploration, deploying surface mobility and infrastructure to enable sustained human and commercial operations on the Moon and Mars.
