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Salary: USD 120,000 - 170,000 / annual
Fortastra designs and delivers resilient, high-performance spacecraft that safeguard critical orbital assets and ensure freedom of action in space. The company integrates advanced autonomy, sensing, and control into systems engineered for reliability, speed, and scale. Recently raised $8M in seed capital and is led by former Hermeus co-founder Mike Smayda.
You will join Fortastra's Engineering Division as an Autonomy Engineer, focusing on the tactical execution of autonomous spacecraft by developing software and algorithms that enable multi-agent coordination, vehicle navigation, and trajectory planning across a distributed spacecraft constellation. You'll work closely with GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) and Flight Software engineers to implement and validate onboard autonomy, from simulation through on-orbit operations.
Key responsibilities include:
- Building autonomy algorithms for multi-agent spacecraft coordination, drawing from paradigms in UAVs, drones, and advanced driver assistance systems
- Developing vehicle navigation and trajectory planning software tailored to space mission constraints and safety requirements
- Designing and implementing multi-sensor fusion approaches, with emphasis on camera-based perception and familiarity with radar and lidar
- Contributing to edge compute selection and trade studies for onboard autonomy, including watchdog concepts and reliability considerations
- Developing and integrating autonomy capabilities within Fortastra's proprietary simulation environment and ROS-based toolchains
- Implementing autonomy software in Python and C++, targeting Linux (Ubuntu) environments and eventual flight software integration
- Defining and supporting failure operation modes and contingency behaviors for spacecraft autonomy
- Collaborating with GNC, avionics, and flight software teams to define interfaces, data models, and test strategies
The company culture emphasizes simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution. Fortastra values engineers who prioritize sound judgment, technical rigor, and bias for action. The team is intentionally lean, with high autonomy and ownership—you own your systems end-to-end from architecture through deployment. The environment strips away red tape to enable rapid iteration on the test stand and in simulation, paired with an uncompromising flight-readiness bar.
QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics, or related sciences/physics-based discipline
- 2–5 years of industry experience in robotics, autonomy, or related fields (internships not counted, though exceptional internship experience may be considered)
- Demonstrated experience in robotics or autonomous systems, including vehicle navigation and trajectory/motion planning
- Proficiency in software development with Python and C++
- Familiarity with Linux (Ubuntu) development environments
- Experience with simulation tools such as ROS or similar robotics frameworks
- Understanding of safety-critical or failure modes for complex systems (spacecraft, automotive, aviation, industrial, or robotics)
- Exposure to sensor fusion concepts (camera, radar, lidar) and active safety systems or ADAS is a plus
- Comfort using modern agentic AI tools (e.g., Claude) in the development workflow
- Ability to work independently and in small, fast-moving teams
- U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain or have an active TS/SCI clearance (US Person considered)
- On-site work required; remote or hybrid arrangements will not be considered
