Gnc Engineer

**About Pangea Aerospace**:
Pangea Aerospace is an aerospace start-up based in Barcelona and Toulouse focusing on developing disruptive technologies for small satellite launch vehicles. We are searching for new team members that want to contribute to creating the next generation of launchers.

Our mission is to develop the technology that enables a more efficient, sustainable, and commercial access to space. The company successfully tested a world’s first 3D printed aerospike engine, introducing several new technologies into its design. Pangea Aerospace is leading the development of innovative launcher technology making reusable rockets the catalyst for sustainable and low-cost access to space.

We are looking for open-minded, driven, and talented professionals to join our international team in Barcelona or Toulouse.

Pangea Aerospace is privately funded, supported by national and European institutions and a strong network of European partners.

**About your job**:
The guidance, navigation, and control element of a launch vehicle, together with the overall flight management, is one of the more important challenges to address when developing a fully functional launch vehicle.

You would be the main responsible for the overall GNC subsystem for the MESO launch vehicle. In your role you will need to check the performance of the full vehicle GNC loop through numerical simulations. This data you will have to use to e.g. size actuators, together with the rest of team, and to set the requirements for the avionics system. The team will also use the simulation outputs to derive e.g. flight loads and flight envelopes, to be used by other disciplines to further the design of the vehicle.

Your role will involve firstly creating models of the GNC system using software such as e.g. MATLAB/Simulink and ASTOS to classify the vehicle’s stability, loads, precision, extreme envelopes, required actuator sizes etc. This might also involve conceptual level work of control law modeling. You will also need to perform more detailed work on the vehicle’s operational/GNC flight modes. Furthermore, another important part of your role will involve the supporting the creation of requirements for the avionics system, and you will interface with the avionics supplier to assure their solution will satisfy the requirements.

You should be comfortable working independently and taking on responsibility, and you should hold sufficient expertise and understanding of GNC to fully grasp such concepts as closed-loop PID control, stability margins, controller bandwidth, Kalman filtering, etc.

**Your challenges and responsibilities**:
Using tools such as Simulink and ASTOS to construct full GNC models of the launch vehicle, both for ascent and reentry.

Evaluating the vehicle’s stability margins and from that being able to derive requirements on navigation accuracy, actuator sizing, and allowable flight envelopes.

Assisting in following the developments of the avionics suppliers to make sure the final developed solution will meet the set requirements and needs of Pangea Aerospace.

Interfacing with all fields of engineering in a multi-disciplinary team to advance the progress of the entire system.

Writing of engineering documentation as well as vehicle user manuals etc.

Assistance with ad-hoc assignments related to your role, as required by Pangea Aerospace.

**What you need to be successful**:
Master’s degree in aerospace engineering or related field.

Good understanding of GNC.

Good understanding of Control Theory.

Understanding of Flight Mechanics & Atmospheric Flight.

Understanding of Astrodynamics / Orbital Mechanics & Exo-Atmospheric Flight.

Understanding of coordinate systems, attitude representations, and coordinate system transformations.

Programming skills in e.g. Python / Matlab / Octave, or in a similar high-level language.

Experience working with requirements and ECSS standards is meritorious.

Experience with trajectory optimization and trajectory optimization software, e.g. STK, ASTOS, GMAT, etc. is meritorious.

Experience working with flight controllers/flight computers and/or avionics is meritorious.

Experience in working with the development of space vehicles, reentry vehicles, and/or space missions is highly meritorious, but not required.

Experience working with suppliers is meritorious, but not strictly required.

**Our working environment**:
Capable of working in a flexible, open-minded, and multi-cultural environment.

Passionate about your work and willing to both teach and learn.

Start-up mindset.

Creative and with experience in overcoming failure.