Spacecraft Ground Software Engineer

Ground Software Engineer

As a Ground Software Engineer at Firefly Aerospace, you will design and build the mission-critical systems that operate our spacecraft and from the ground. This role requires full-stack expertise to deliver robust web applications, backend services, databases, and cloud infrastructure that power spacecraft commanding, telemetry, and real-time control.

You will develop ground systems that interface directly with our vehicles, supporting everything from pre-launch checkout to on-orbit operations. With strong skills in modern software technologies and a deep understanding of real-time control systems, you will create reliable, secure, and scalable software that ensures Firefly missions succeed from liftoff to lunar landing.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain spacecraft ground software systems, spanning front-end, back-end, databases, and cloud services.
• Develop real-time control interfaces for commanding and telemetry visualization.
• Build and maintain React-based web applications for operator consoles and mission control tools.
• Develop backend services in Python and integrate with spacecraft APIs and communication protocols.
• Design, optimize, and maintain database solutions for mission telemetry and historical data.
• Deploy and manage containerized applications using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Implement cloud infrastructure and scaling solutions in AWS for mission operations.
• Integrate CI/CD pipelines and DevOps best practices to accelerate development and deployment.
• Collaborate with flight software, GNC, and systems engineering teams to ensure seamless end-to-end vehicle integration.
• Contribute to operations software for rehearsals, test campaigns, and live mission execution.

Qualifications

Required:

• BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience as a full-stack software engineer.
• Proficiency in modern JavaScript frameworks (React, Node.js) and Python.
• Strong experience with databases (SQL and/or NoSQL).
• Experience deploying applications with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Hands-on experience with AWS services (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, etc.).
• Experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, Jenkins, or similar).
• Familiarity with DevOps practices including monitoring, observability, and infrastructure as code.
• Experience developing and integrating real-time control systems.
• Strong knowledge of networking, APIs, and secure software design.

Desired:

• MS in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical field.
• Experience with spacecraft or aerospace ground systems.
• Background in real-time data visualization and operator console development.
• Experience with mission simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, or flatsat test environments.
• Familiarity with aerospace communication standards (CCSDS, telemetry/command formats).
• Security certifications or experience with mission-critical cybersecurity.
• Active security clearance or eligibility to obtain one.