Software Engineer - Lunar Communications and Teleoperation
Starpath
Location
Hawthorne, CA
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Engineering - Software
About Starpath
Starpath is building the technology to enable human expansion into the Solar System. We are developing a complete end-to-end system for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon and Mars. We plan to launch autonomous rovers to the Moon that will gather icy regolith from permanently-shadowed regions of craters near the Lunar South Pole and deliver that regolith to an automated plant that can process it into liquid oxygen, which will be used to refuel landers for their return flights to Earth.
If high ownership, fast pace, and doing hands-on work that will enable our rovers to explore and mine the Moon sounds like a dream come true, come join the team!
Software Engineer - Lunar Communications and Teleoperation
In this role, you will own the software for communicating from our ground stations to our rovers on the Moon. A commercial lander will provide the link between our ground stations on Earth and our rovers on the Moon. You will be responsible for designing and implementing the software to provide telemetry from the rover and for sending commands to the rover.
You will also be responsible for designing and implementing the teleoperation system that will allow operators on Earth to drive our rovers on the Moon. Even though our rovers are primarily autonomous or semi-autonomous, teleoperation capability is a critical backup that will allow a human operator to rescue a rover that has become stuck or lost. This teleoperation capability will need to handle large latencies (~3 seconds) between the camera images and the rover motion commands.
Responsibilities
Design and implement the end-to-end software chain from ground station consoles through the lander relay to the rover on the Moon
Develop an easy-to-use teleoperation user interface that works well with high latency video streams
Work closely with the Autonomy Team to design a system that can smoothly transition between teleoperated and autonomous control
Work closely with the Avionics Team to ensure that communications software is compatible with communications hardware
Required Qualifications
Experience programming in Python and C/C++
Experience writing network software
Experience with long-range outdoor wireless networks
Experience with video capture, video encoding, and video streaming
Evidence of exceptional engineering ability
Degree in Computer Science or a related field OR demonstrated excellence at coding via significant professional experience
Outstanding communications skills
A strong interest in working hands-on with robot hardware
A desire to make humans a multi-planet species
Preferred Qualifications
Experience programming in ROS/ROS2
Experience developing software to control real robots
Experience developing software for aerospace applications
Experience developing and deploying software in production
Excellence in academic performance or extracurriculars
Leadership experience in extracurricular or professional settings
Position Details
Location: Los Angeles - Hawthorne
Salary base rate is $100-175k/yr plus equity package; compensation scales with candidate experience
PTO & health/dental/vision coverage included
Additional Requirements
Willingness to work extended hours as needed
EAR REQUIREMENTS:
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.