Ground Systems Test Engineer
Intuitive Machines LLC
- Location
- Onsite (Houston, Texas)
- Employment
- Full-time
- Level
- Mid Level
About the Role
Intuitive Machines is a leading space infrastructure company building spacecraft and operating infrastructure-as-a-service for commercial and government customers. This role involves defining, building, and maintaining test environments for satellite communication systems to support lunar and deep-space missions.
Skills
Full job details
Ground Systems Test Engineer
Houston, TX
About Intuitive Machines:
Intuitive Machines is an innovative and cutting-edge space company making cislunar space accessible to both public and private customers. Our mission is to further science and exploration, communications, and economic progress from the Earth to the Moon and beyond. With multiple NASA lunar missions in development and additional private missions on our manifest, we pride ourselves in supporting NASA, our customers, and the nation in paving the way to return humans to the surface of the Moon. Our world-class team includes experts in all aspects of spacecraft subsystems design, development, and test, on-orbit operations, and safety.
Responsibilities:
- Test communication systems to support satellite ground stations supporting satellites in lunar orbit, deep-space, satellite, and other mission applications.
- Define communication ground and subsystem test environment requirements and identify, purchase, and/or build test equipment/software.
- Test RF communication architectures, interfaces, and test activities including antennas, transceivers, SDRs, LNAs, SSPAs, filters, multiplexers, and related hardware.
- Test communication waveforms, modulation schemes, coding/FEC techniques, and synchronization methods.
- Perform RF system modeling, simulation, integration, testing, and troubleshooting activities.
- Conduct communication performance analyses including Eb/No, carrier-to-noise ratio, throughput, coverage, access, and link margin assessments as needed to validate and troubleshoot potential issues
- Ensure communication ground systems comply with applicable constraints, standards, and requirements.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including systems, software, avionics, GNC, payload, and ground systems engineers, to ensure successful communication system integration.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience in communications or related fields.
- Experience testing communication ground system requirements and interface definitions.
- Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
Preferred Skills & Experience
- Experience with lunar, deep-space, or satellite communication systems.
- Experience with Software Defined Radios/modems (SDRs), optical, and/or RF communications systems
- Experience with communication analysis tools such as MATLAB, Simulink, STK, FreeFlyer, GMAT, or equivalent.
- Experience with test equipment including spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, signal generators, and oscilloscopes.
- Familiarity with government standards, CCSDS protocols, and spectrum management activities.
- Experience supporting communication subsystem integration, verification, environmental testing, and mission operations.
US EEO Statement:
Intuitive Machines is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.