Spacecraft Controller

Role: Spacecraft Operations and Analysis Engineer

Employment Type: Full Time

Educational Qualification: Bachelor' s degree in engineering (aerospace, computer/software, electrical, mechanical) or other technical field

Work Experience: 2+ years of direct software development experience (Python or similar), including ground scripting, automation, and data analysis

Role Description:
We are looking for an enthusiastic and self driven individual to take up the responsibility of spacecraft operations. The primary responsibility of this role is to monitor and control the spacecraft as per the mission plan and schedules. The hire will need to ensure that there is zero downtime in operations due to operational lapses/errors, while also ensuring that the spacecrafts are safe and healthy.

Responsibilities & Duties:

• Monitor, operate, and maintain mission planning and ground systems in live production environments, including real-time spacecraft monitoring and control in the control room

• Serve as a senior on-console operator, executing routine and special operational procedures across all mission phases with minimal oversight

• Own the development, validation, and maintenance of flight operational procedures and contingency procedures, ensuring strict adherence to configuration control standards

• Lead on-call and shift schedule coverage, providing senior-level judgment and escalation support during non-nominal situations

• Perform trending and performance analysis on spacecraft subsystems and instruments, diagnosing anomalies and defining new analysis checks and tooling as needed

• Prepare, validate, and approve Operational Database change requests

• Build and evolve core mission planning services and algorithms that power mission planning applications for a growing satellite constellation

• Shape the architecture and design of mission planning and ground systems for scalability, reliability, and long-term operability, and advocate upstream for design choices that make spacecraft easier and safer to operate

• Translate mission requests into executable satellite telecommands, including ownership of the telecommand database

• Align mission plans with onboard scheduling and execution constraints to ensure operational feasibility across a growing fleet

• Define engineering standards for reliability, CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, observability, and operational compliance across mission-critical systems, and drive their adoption across the operations team

• Architect, develop, and test ground software and automation frameworks for robust, hands-off, long-duration space operations

• Design, develop, and test flight software sequences and FDIR/telemetry configurations to support spacecraft health and fault management

• Establish and maintain CI, version control, and release discipline for operational codebases

• Champion automation as a core operational strategy, identifying where software-driven solutions can replace manual processes across the fleet

• Lead validation of flight products and procedures against spacecraft simulation tools (flatsat, HITL, SIL, digital twins)

• Support AIT teams across multiple spacecraft integrated tests (TVAC, propulsion stack, DITL)

• Own requirements validation and verification for spacecraft subsystems and missions, including generation, maintenance, and disposition

• Author and own operations system documentation, interface specifications, CONOPS, and flight operations manuals

• Review space-to-ground interface specifications for accuracy and completeness, and flag design issues that affect operability

• Collaborate across Flight Operations, Flight Dynamics, Payload, Satellite Operations, and Product leadership to translate mission needs into technical direction and system design

• Provide technical inputs and recommendations to the Lead Engineer and program leadership on operations strategy and trades

• Lead preparation and execution of critical mission campaigns

• Identify, propose, and drive implementation of system and process improvements across the operations team

• Represent mission operations in design reviews and readiness gates, and drive continuous improvement through post-mission lessons learned

Desirable Skills & Certifications:

1. Bachelor's degree in engineering (aerospace, electrical, computer, software, mechanical) or related technical discipline

2. 1-3 years of direct experience in spacecraft operations, satellite subsystems, ground systems, or spacecraft command and control

3. Previous experience supporting mission operations activities in an on-console or operator-in-the-loop capacity

4. Solid understanding of key spacecraft subsystems: ADCS, EPS, space-to-ground communications, C&DH, TCS, propulsion, and FDIR

5. Working understanding of the space environment, orbital mechanics, and rigid body dynamics

6. 2+ years of direct software development experience (Python or similar), including ground scripting, automation, and data analysis

7. Demonstrated experience designing or architecting a process, tool, or system component with minimal existing template

8. Prior experience in satellite system design or ground systems architecture

9. Exposure to modern development practices — Git, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure

10. Proficiency with Agile issue-tracking tools (e.g., Jira) for mission task management and status tracking

11. Exposure to SIL/HIL testing frameworks

12. Master's degree in a related engineering discipline

Candidate Acumen:

1. Strong communication skills in English, both speaking and writing, with the ability to clearly document procedures and share findings with the team

2. Strong observation skills with keen attention to detail and solid analytical ability, with a willingness to dig into anomalies rather than take data at face value

3. Systematic and process-oriented, with the discipline to stay calm and follow procedure carefully during high-pressure, real-time situations

4. Collaborative team player who works well across shifts and with cross-functional partners, and is comfortable asking for help or escalating when a situation is outside their experience

Benefits:

1. Health insurance coverage

2. Unlimited leaves & flexible working hours

3. Role-based remote work and work-from-home benefit

4. Relocation assistance

5. Professional Mental Wellness services

6. Creche facility for primary caregivers (limited to India)

7. Employee Stock Options for all hires

About Pixxel

Pixxel is a space data company and spacecraft manufacturer redefining Earth observation with hyperspectral imaging. The company’s first three commercial hyperspectral satellites—Fireflies—deliver imagery at 5-meter resolution and 135+ spectral bands, providing 50x richer detail than traditional Earth observation systems and unlocking insights across agriculture, climate, energy, environment, and more.

Once fully deployed, Pixxel’s constellation of 18-24 satellites will capture imagery across up to 250 bands in VNIR and SWIR ranges, with a 40 km swath and daily global revisit capability. Pixxel’s most unique strength is its full-stack approach, integrating every layer of the value chain from satellite hardware and manufacturing to AI-powered analytics.

Pixxel’s satellite constellation is complemented by Aurora, its in-house Earth Observation Studio that simplifies satellite imagery analysis and democratises remote sensing for all. Designed to make hyperspectral data more accessible, Aurora by Pixxel combines high-frequency imagery with AI-powered tools to generate actionable insights, even for users without technical backgrounds. The third pillar of Pixxel’s ecosystem is its in-house satellite manufacturing capability. Beyond building its own spacecraft, Pixxel also provides satellite systems and subsystems to other organisations. This dual capacity sets it apart in a sector where most companies focus on either payload design or data operations, but not both.

Pixxel’s team is young but deeply mission-aligned, with a culture rooted in curiosity, speed, and long-term thinking. As the company grows its constellation and expands Aurora, the focus remains on making space-based insights practical, scalable, and genuinely helpful so that the health of the planet becomes measurable and action becomes possible.

Pixxel was the only Indian startup selected for the Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator in Los Angeles and has been recognised in TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023, Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and Via Satellite’s Top Innovators list.

For more information, see our Careers page or follow Pixxel on LinkedIn and X/Twitter.

To know more about us, visit https://www.pixxel.space.

Culture

Pixxel is an organisation where we enable our employees to work on world-changing problems that they are passionate about, and a place where they can be their best selves day in and day out while ensuring they have fun every day.
Central to our employee-first ethos is a commitment to ensuring that every team member feels valued and heard. We nurture a healthy and supportive work environment where we prioritise well-being and growth in all aspects of life

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