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Salary: USD 155,000 - 195,000 / 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 visionary founder Mike Smayda, former Hermeus co-founder.
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 to on-orbit operations.
Key responsibilities include:
- Build autonomy algorithms for multi-agent spacecraft coordination, drawing from paradigms in UAVs, drones, and advanced driver assistance systems
- Develop vehicle navigation and trajectory planning software tailored to space mission constraints and safety requirements
- Design and implement multi-sensor fusion approaches, with emphasis on camera-based perception and familiarity with radar and lidar
- Contribute to edge compute selection and trade studies for onboard autonomy, including watchdog concepts and reliability considerations
- Develop and integrate autonomy capabilities within Fortastra's proprietary simulation environment and ROS-based toolchains
- Implement autonomy software in Python and C++, targeting Linux (Ubuntu) environments and eventual flight software integration
- Define and support failure operation modes and contingency behaviors for spacecraft autonomy
- Collaborate with GNC, avionics, and flight software teams to define interfaces, data models, and test strategies
The culture values simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution, empowering every engineer to think systemically, act decisively, and build with purpose.
QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics, or other sciences/physics-based discipline
- 2–3 years of industry experience in robotics, autonomy, or related fields (internships not counted, though exceptional internship experience may be considered)
- 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
