Relativity Space
Senior Mission Design and Navigation Engineer
$148K–$222K
Long Beach, California, United States · Senior · Full-time · Posted Sep 15, 2026
- Experience
- 5+ years of related experience.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Astronautical/Aeronautical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a similar technical discipline.
About the job
Designs trajectories and navigation capabilities for Relativity Space’s 2028 Mars Orbiter mission, supporting the spacecraft’s journey to Mars and orbital science operations.
What you'll do
- Design and optimize interplanetary and Mars orbital trajectories subject to spacecraft, communications, operations, and science constraints.
- Develop flight navigation capabilities, including orbit determination, trajectory estimation, maneuver analysis, and navigation data processing.
- Define navigation requirements, interfaces, tools, and software; serve as the program’s primary navigation interface with the Deep Space Network.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in a listed or similar technical discipline and 5+ years of related experience.
- Experience in spacecraft mission design, astrodynamics, flight navigation, orbit determination, or mission design and navigation software development.
- Experience with radiometric navigation and orbital determination; strong understanding of orbital mechanics and trajectory analysis.
- Software development experience in Python, MATLAB, or similar; experience defining requirements and architectures for engineering or mission-critical software.
Nice to have
- Experience with MONTE mission design and navigation software and tools.
- Experience supporting interplanetary or deep-space missions, the Deep Space Network, or DSN tracking measurements.
Pay
$148,000 — $222,000 USD (base salary)
Tools
Python, MATLAB, MONTE, Deep Space Network, Doppler, Range, Delta-DOR
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