Spacecraft Closed-Loop Simulation Engineer
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Job Summary
LASP is looking for a Simulation Engineer to join the spacecraft simulator team for a deep space mission that will tour the inner solar system and explore the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Launch is expected in early 2028.
You will develop behavioral hardware models and build the software-only and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test environments that the flight software, command and data handling, fault protection, assembly/integration and test (AIT), and mission operations teams rely on to validate spacecraft behavior.
This is a hands-on role that spans the full simulator stack: embedded and Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) driver work, the behavioral models themselves, and the infrastructure and pipelines that deliver them. You will write C++ models and Python orchestration at your desk, then deploy and test against EGSE hardware in the lab. You will also help grow the institution’s simulation capability over time.
Who We Are
The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) is one of the largest research institutes of CU Boulder, the #1 public university recipient of NASA research grants, and one of America’s leading aerospace universities. With a focus on solar, stellar, space plasma, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, LASP employs both experimental and theoretical approaches to answer key science questions. Since its inception in 1948, LASP has developed, operated, and analyzed the data from scientific instrumentation for solar science, earth atmospheric, planetary, deep-space, and Earth-orbiting spacecraft missions investigating the Sun, all eight planets, Pluto and beyond. The progressive development of research capabilities and use of innovative technologies in pursuit of emerging research initiatives ensures a continued leadership role for LASP in today’s growing “new space” era. Since 2013, LASP has secured over $1.75B in grants and contracts.
Thanks to its distinctive combination of scientific and engineering expertise and its ability both to manage long-term collaborations with agencies such as NASA and to respond to faster-moving opportunities with private sponsors, LASP has grown rapidly in the last decade, with expenditures that exceed well over $150M annually, secured through grants, contracts, and other funding vehicles. Some 400 of LASP’s 600-person staff are technical staff and research scientists. The LASP community includes tenure/tenure-track faculty, approximately 110 student employees, 69 graduate students, and 10 postdocs.
An important element of LASP’s mission is to train the next generation of space scientists and engineers: through wide-ranging research and flight projects, LASP participates actively in the development of the future leaders of space research and is a leader in educating students with highly valued technical and scientific skills. Undergraduate and graduate student participation is integral to LASP’s R&D and operational success. In this regard, LASP has been both a contributor to and beneficiary of the remarkable growth of the state of Colorado’s space sector.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
- Work with subsystem leads and system engineers to develop simulation requirements and architecture.
- Develop and maintain behavioral hardware models for spacecraft subsystem simulators.
- Build and support software-only and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulator environments.
- Implement, verify, and validate simulation products, including test procedures for requirement V&V and unit/integration tests.
- Integrate simulation environments with command-and-telemetry and test data systems.
- Deploy, configure, and test embedded/EGSE systems.
- Build and maintain containerized simulator environments, delivering artifacts through CI/CD pipelines.
- Support functional, performance, and mission-scenario testing for partner teams.
- Coordinate a small team of engineers and take part in peer and programmatic reviews.
- Other duties as assigned.
What You Should Know
- Programs will require compliance with export control restrictions, including EAR and ITAR.
- Onsite presence is required because of the hands-on laboratory work necessary.
What We Can Offer
- $120,416.00 - $178,627.00 per year.
- Relocation assistance may be available.
Benefits
At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
What We Require
- Bachelor's degree in a physical science, engineering, a related field.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to multi-task and handle competing priorities.
- Due to requirements to access export-controlled data and information, only U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), or other protected individuals (i.e., persons designated as an asylee, refugee, or temporary resident under amnesty provisions) may apply.
There are two areas of focus for this job. The ideal candidate will meet the criteria for both areas of focus. An acceptable candidate will meet the criteria for one area of focus with familiarity for the other.
- Area of Focus: Embedded Systems & Hardware Development
- Required Qualifications:
- Building and loading Linux kernel modules
- TCP/IP and similar networking protocols
- Deploying, configuring, and testing embedded/EGSE hardware
- Preferred Qualifications
- Linux PREEMPT-RT patch
- Comfortable working with virtual machines, remote machines, and hypervisors
- Awareness of the nuances of stimulating and simulating electrical signals (e.g., between flight avionics and EGSE)
- Coordinating hardware builds with the EGSE team
- Required Qualifications:
- Area of Focus: Behavioral Model Development
- Required Qualifications
- Developing and maintaining behavioral hardware models of spacecraft subsystems
- Black-box-level understanding of spacecraft componentry
- Translating interface specifications (ICDs, command and telemetry dictionaries, datasheets) into behavioral models
- Implementing realistic command handling and telemetry, including nominal and off-nominal (fault) behavior
- Preferred Qualifications
- Designing hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) models
- Renode emulation platform
- A spacecraft simulation framework (Basilisk and/or Xmera)
- SWIG for C++/Python bindings
- CMake
- Required Qualifications
What You Will Need
- Mastery of software architecture and organization
- C and C++ development proficiency
- Scripting in Python and bash
- Fluent in Linux as a primary working environment
- Comfortable taking responsibility for the systems you deploy (standing them up and configuring them sensibly to get work done)
- Developing multi-threaded applications
- Solid grasp of inter-process communication and message-passing frameworks (e.g., ZMQ, RabbitMQ)
- Engineering fundamentals sufficient to reason about and model spacecraft subsystem behavior
- Proficient understanding of digital electronics
- Comfort working in a hands-on laboratory environment around electrostatic sensitive devices
- Demonstrated proficiency in electronics laboratory practices, including setup, operation, and troubleshooting using oscilloscopes, power supplies, digital multimeters, data acquisition systems, and electronic assembly and rework equipment.
- Containerization tooling (Docker, Podman)
- CI/CD pipelines for delivering simulator artifacts
What We Would Like You to Have
- Spacecraft subsystem knowledge, with familiarity across systems, electrical, software, I&T, and operations
- Experience with environmental testing for space-flight systems
- Experience across Flight Software and Integration & Test program phases
- Simulation knowledge
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- Resume or CV.
- Cover Letter.
(Optional) Transcripts/Proof of Degree: If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources Department using an approved online vendor. However, if your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit an English-translated version as an Optional document.
Please apply by 8/10/26 for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.
Posting Contact Information
Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources
Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu