PNT Analyst - Orbit Determination & Ground Navigation

Moonshot Aerospace is seeking a Position, Navigation, & Timing (PNT) Analyst specializing in Orbit Determination (OD) and ground navigation to support cislunar and planetary spacecraft programs for commercial and government customers. Programs include the Human Landing System (HLS), Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), lunar data relay networks, and related civil and commercial space efforts. 

This is an analysis-focused position requiring deep expertise in orbit determination, navigation measurement modeling, and PNT system architecture for cislunar environments. The analyst will develop and execute orbit determination solutions, design navigation measurement strategies, perform covariance and sensitivity analyses, and contribute to satellite constellation architecture optimization. Proficiency with JPL MONTE or equivalent orbit determination and trajectory analysis tools is required. Multiple experience levels are available, and responsibilities will scale with demonstrated capability. 

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, and execute orbit determination solutions for cislunar and lunar spacecraft using MONTE or equivalent tools 

• Design and analyze navigation measurement strategies including GNSS, optical navigation, ground-based range and Doppler, and inter-satellite link measurements 

• Develop and maintain navigation error budgets and perform covariance analysis for orbit determination accuracy assessment 

• Perform sensitivity analyses for design trade space evaluation, requirements definition, and performance validation 

• Develop, test, and document Kalman filter designs for onboard and ground-based orbit determination and clock estimation 

• Support satellite constellation architecture optimization including orbit selection, coverage analysis, and PNT geometry evaluation 

• Develop and validate measurement error models for GNSS, optical navigation, and ground-based tracking observations 

• Perform Monte Carlo analyses to verify orbit determination and PNT system performance under dispersed conditions 

• Conduct research and development for cislunar PNT concepts and technologies 

• Contribute to technical documentation, conference papers, and customer presentations 

• Collaborate across navigation, systems engineering, and mission design teams 

Required Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance 

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Astrodynamics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field 

• 5+ years of professional experience in orbit determination, ground navigation, or PNT system analysis for spacecraft 

• Proficiency with JPL MONTE or equivalent orbit determination and trajectory analysis tools (ODTK, GEONS, GMAT, or similar) 

• Demonstrated experience with Kalman filter design and covariance analysis for spacecraft orbit determination 

• Experience developing navigation measurement models and error budgets 

• Strong programming skills in Python, C/C++, and MATLAB for analysis tool development and automation 

• Understanding of spacecraft dynamics, orbital mechanics, and astrodynamics 

• Experience with sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo methods for navigation performance verification 

• Effective written and verbal communication skills 

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Astrodynamics, or related field with focus on orbit determination or navigation

• 8+ years of orbit determination or ground navigation experience on spacecraft programs

• Cislunar or lunar orbit determination experience, including weak-gravity and multi-body dynamics environments

• Experience with satellite constellation design and optimization, including coverage analysis and PNT geometry evaluation

• GNSS signal processing and receiver performance analysis for space-based applications

• Optical navigation measurement modeling and image-based navigation techniques

• Clock estimation and oscillator modeling for PNT applications

• Two-way time transfer or inter-satellite link measurement analysis

• Experience with multiple OD tools across the MONTE, ODTK, GEONS, and GMAT ecosystem

• Conference publications or journal articles in orbit determination, navigation, or PNT

• Satellite or deep space mission operations experience