RESEARCH COMPUTER SCIENTIST - RESEARCH ENGINEER - SR. RESEARCH ENGINEER - Mission Operations - Bo... at Southwest Research Institute

Who We Are:

Our team, the Space Operations section, is dedicated to executing Science and Mission Operations Centers for Solar System Exploration. As a recognized leader in space science research and spacecraft instrumentation, avionics, and electronics, we work to reveal the secrets of our solar system and the universe.

Objectives of this Role:

• Join the Science Operations Center (SOC) for NASA’s Lucy mission, as well as support other SOCs for upcoming missions.
• Work with the Science Team and Instrument engineers in planning and sequencing the science instruments for upcoming Trojan asteroid encounters, as well as calibration and checkout activities leading up to the flybys.
• The work entails developing science activity plans, building command loads, coordinating spacecraft and pointing platform activities, merging, reviewing and constraint checking the timelines.
• Serve as Load lead for command loads, alternating with other team members.
• Develop review products for Science and Instrument teams, working with SOC and MOC software and procedures, and they would assist in improving processes and documentation.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Build, merge, review command loads for Lucy asteroid encounters and calibration and checkout activities.
• Serve as Load Lead for encounter and calibration planning and implementation.
• Track the full cycle of command load development, from coordination of science timelines to final command verification.
• Develop and provide review products, track action items, change requests, and sequence reviews from various teams.
• Work closely with Spacecraft team Operations Center in coordinating spacecraft and instrument operations.
• Review MOC simulations and track change requests.
• Attend weekly planning and coordination meetings with Science Team, SOC, and MOC.
• Support and track resolution of Problem Reports.

Requirements:

• Requires a Bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering Physics or closely related degree with relevant professional level work experience.
• 4+ years: Science or Mission Operations experience with building and verifying command loads.
• Experience working in Linux or Unix environment. Experience with Python.
• Ability to problem solve issues encountered in command load development, communicate findings with teams.
• Attention to detail is critical
• Experience with spacecraft and instrument pointing coordination, planning, analysis.
• Familiarity with software such as AGI’s Systems Toolkit (STK) is a plus.