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Satellite Flight Software Engineer III - TeraWave Verified today

Blue Origin · 3 Locations · Software · first seen 2026-09-29
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About TeraWave

Blue Origin is building TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network delivering symmetrical data speeds up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation consists of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO) for enterprise-grade global connectivity.

The Role

You will design, develop, and verify applications for TeraWave's satellite flight software subsystem. This hands-on position focuses on building robust, scalable flight software to support expansion of TeraWave into a 5,408-vehicle constellation.

What You'll Do

  • Design, develop, and implement flight software for command and data handling (C&DH), including command routing, onboard data management, telemetry generation, and subsystem control
  • Develop telecommand and telemetry processing software for uplink command validation, scheduling, execution, and onboard health and status data collection and downlink management
  • Develop spacecraft time management software including onboard time correlation, GPS/GNSS synchronization, and precision timing distribution across vehicle subsystems
  • Create and maintain software interfaces between C&DH and other spacecraft subsystems to support safe and secure vehicle operations
  • Collaborate with hardware, systems, and autonomy engineers to define software requirements, interfaces, and behavioral boundaries
  • Develop and integrate simulation environments and models to test flight software across nominal and off-nominal operational scenarios
  • Support software architecture, design reviews, and systems engineering trade studies
  • Participate in software integration, verification, and validation testing including software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments
  • Support on-orbit operations and troubleshooting of deployed spacecraft
  • Mentor junior engineers and contribute to team technical development

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical field
  • 5 or more years of experience in spacecraft flight software or embedded software development
  • Strong programming skills in C, C++, and Python
  • Solid understanding of Object-Oriented problem solving and software layering for modularity and reuse
  • Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) such as Linux, QNX, VxWorks, RTEMS or equivalent
  • Experience developing software for spacecraft avionics functions such as C&DH, telecommand and telemetry processing, or hardware I/O management
  • Familiarity with CCSDS standards for spacecraft telecommand and telemetry processing
  • Familiarity with cybersecurity principles for space systems including secure boot, command authentication, or encrypted communication links
  • Experience with software unit testing frameworks such as Google Test or equivalent for embedded C/C++ environments
  • Experience with inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms including sockets, shared memory, message queues, or publish-subscribe middleware
  • Experience with cross-compilation toolchains and embedded Linux build systems such as CMake, Make, Yocto, or Buildroot
  • Experience with software lifecycle, configuration management (Git), CI/CD, and containerized environments
  • Experience with verification and validation practices for mission-critical embedded software systems
  • Experience with communication protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, CAN, I2C, SPI, and RS-422/485
  • Familiarity with static analysis tools and flight software coding standards such as MISRA C/C++

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
  • Experience with on-orbit spacecraft operations or satellite constellation management
  • Experience with over-the-air (OTA) software updates
  • Experience with onboard time management, precision timing interfaces, or GPS-disciplined time synchronization
  • Familiarity with NASA cFS, F Prime, or similar flight software frameworks
  • Familiarity with spacecraft FDIR and autonomy software components and their interfaces
  • Understanding of radiation effects on electronics and software-based mitigation techniques

Compensation and Benefits

Base pay range varies by location: CA and WA applicants $164,652.00 to $230,512.80; CO applicants $150,931.00 to $211,303.05. Other site ranges may differ.

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with company match up to 5%, and Education Support Program. Stock options available for all regular employees working at least 20 hours per week. Paid Time Off up to four weeks per year and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

Requirements

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. Background check required for all positions.