Flight Software Engineer in Reading

At NewOrbit Space, our mission is to engineer the lowest orbiting satellites on Earth to rapidly advance global connectivity and insight.

We are currently building satellites that can operate at an altitude of just 200 km – one-third that of conventional satellites. Thanks to our propulsion system AURA, we can compensate for the atmospheric drag at ultra-low altitudes.

Your role

You’ll own the software that makes the spacecraft behave: real-time control flows, autonomy, mode management, and the core flight applications that coordinate every subsystem. You’ll design and implement robust flight-software services on RTOS or Embedded Linux—turning mission requirements into deterministic, testable software—then take it from simulation all the way to launch and on-orbit operations. You’ll ensure our VLEO satellites stay safe and productive with strong fault tolerance, clean observability, and rapid iteration through over-the-air updates.

Key Responsibilities

• Proven experience in building production embedded or real-time systems in C/C++ and/or Rust on RTOS or Embedded Linux for space systems.
• Strong grasp of real-time software: scheduling, interrupts, concurrency primitives, determinism, and designing for constrained CPU/memory.
• Proven ability to build reliable, testable systems: unit/integration testing, simulation-first development, HIL validation, and disciplined debugging.
• Hands-on experience integrating with hardware via common interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN(-FD), GPIO, etc.) and practical lab debugging.
• Solid software engineering fundamentals: architecture, code review, static analysis, CI/CD, configuration management, and observability/logging.
• Ability to own systems end-to-end: from requirements and design through implementation, verification, operations support, and iterative improvement.
• Experience building production embedded or real-time systems in C/C++ or Rust on RTOS or Embedded Linux.
• Solid grasp of on-board computer architecture and high-speed buses (e.g. CAN-FD, SpaceWire, SPI, LVDS).
• Experience taking code through unit, integration & HIL tests and shipping via CI/CD.
• Strong software‑design fundamentals, including data structures, concurrency and debugging.
• Master version‑control, static analysis, containerised build tooling and automated deployment.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with spacecraft flight software frameworks (e.g., cFS, F´, or building lightweight component-based equivalents).
• Familiarity with autonomy and fault management patterns for radiation/SEUs, watchdog strategies, redundancy, and safe-mode design.
• GNC/AOCS-adjacent experience: sensor/actuator pipelines, control-loop integration, estimation/filters, timing analysis.
• Digital-twin / simulator / SIL-HIL experience for end-to-end behavior validation and regression testing.
• On-orbit operations know-how: commissioning flows, anomaly response, telemetry triage, and OTA update strategies.

Why NewOrbit

• Space Pioneering Space Technology – You\’ll contribute to launching groundbreaking technology into space and bring the last frontier closer to home.
• Unmatched Ownership and Impact –You\’ll experience a level of ownership that\’s rare in the space industry. You will participate in the full lifecycle of satellite technology.
• Equity and Competitive Salary – You\’ll receive not just a competitive salary but also company ownership stakes. Your dedication and hard work are rewarded with a share in the technology you help build, ensuring you\’re a part of our collective success.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package – Including private health insurance with dental and optical coverage, annual healthcare check-ups etc.
• Hybrid Work – A hybrid setup with one dedicated remote day per week.

We provide a relocation package and sponsor your visa if you’re joining us from abroad.