Senior Flight Software Engineer

The posting, as Planet wrote it

Welcome to Planet. We believe in using space to help life on Earth.

Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history. This constellation delivers an unprecedented dataset of empirical information via a revolutionary cloud-based platform to authoritative figures in commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. We are both a space company and data company all rolled into one.

Customers and users across the globe use Planet's data to develop new technologies, drive revenue, power research, and solve our world’s toughest obstacles.

As we control every component of hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering, our office is a truly inspiring mix of experts from a variety of domains.

We have a people-centric approach toward culture and community and we strive to iterate in a way that puts our team members first and prepares our company for growth. Join Planet and be a part of our mission to change the way people see the world.

Planet is a global company with employees working remotely world wide and joining us from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands.

About the Role

Planet’s Flight Software Team is responsible for all of the embedded software that powers our diverse fleet of Superdove, Skysat, Pelican, and Tanager satellites. The software we build and maintain deploys to orbiting spacecraft hundreds of kilometers away and spans many functional verticals, including navigation and avionics, payload control, radio software, and supporting tooling and infrastructure. We collaborate closely with many other teams at Planet, including Payload, EE, RF, Ground Stations, and Missions teams, to deliver reliable and innovative solutions that ensure the success of Planet’s missions. As a Senior Flight Software Engineer for Superdove, you will lead ongoing development, verification, and on-orbit anomaly escalation for Planet’s core satellite platform. In this role, you will work with domain experts to design improved flight software, optimize operational efficiency, and ensure seamless hardware and software integration. Ideal candidates are curious, data-driven, and passionate about scaling orbital systems.

We are currently seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead ongoing development, verification, and on-orbit anomaly escalation for Planet’s existing satellite platform, Superdove. As a Senior Flight Software Engineer, you will develop a deep understanding of existing on-orbit software systems and how the software interacts with hardware, firmware, Satellite Operations, and the complex physical environment found in LEO. You will work closely with Manufacturing and Manufacturing Test to ensure successful satellite builds. You will work with domain experts in RF, ADCS, EE, FPGA, and our Flight Software team to design and implement improved flight software, and to support new requirements and circuit designs. You will u
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