Build the Systems That Power Spacecraft

Xplore is a highly differentiated, venture-backed commercial space company. We design, build, and operate satellites and sensors that collect high-fidelity Earth observation data, enabling insights that support social, economic, environmental, and security outcomes across the globe.

Every image we collect contains trillions of spectral data points—revealing the physical and chemical state of Earth in ways conventional imaging cannot see. Our multi-sensor satellites combine remote sensing data, edge computing, and high-throughput communications to generate spatial insights for customers worldwide.

We are building the operational backbone of a scalable space infrastructure company.

In this role, you will design and own the embedded hardware and firmware that power Xplore’s spacecraft and payload systems—from early architecture and board bring-up through flight and constellation scale.

The Mission

We are hiring a Senior Embedded Systems Engineer - Space Systems to lead the design and development of the embedded hardware and firmware that power Xplore’s spacecraft and payload systems.

You will lead the design and development of flight-critical embedded hardware and firmware across the full lifecycle:

• Embedded architecture and system design
• PCB and hardware development
• FPGA and firmware implementation
• Board bring-up and hardware validation
• System integration and environmental testing

You will improve current embedded architectures and build new ones that are technically rigorous, resilient, and scalable for spacecraft deployment.

You will take technical ownership of systems that move from design to flight and operate on real missions in orbit.

Your designs will move from lab bench to launch vehicle to orbit —powering spacecraft on real missions.

What You Will Build

• Flight electronics for next-generation Earth observation spacecraft
• High-performance embedded compute platforms for on-orbit data processing
• FPGA-enabled sensor interfaces and high-speed data pipelines
• Embedded avionics supporting spacecraft command, control, and payload management
• Custom hardware systems supporting multi-sensor spacecraft architectures

What You Will Own

Embedded System Architecture

• Architect embedded hardware and firmware for spacecraft and payload subsystems
• Define system interfaces between sensors, compute systems, and spacecraft avionics
• Design scalable embedded platforms supporting multi-sensor spacecraft architectures
• Establish design standards for reliability, performance, and manufacturability

Hardware Design & PCB Development

• Design multi-layer PCBs for spaceflight applications using KiCAD or equivalent EDA tools
• Perform schematic capture, component selection, and layout review
• Ensure designs meet signal integrity, thermal, and power requirements
• Implement design for manufacturability (DFM) and production readiness

Board Bring-Up & Hardware Validation

• Lead bring-up of custom flight electronics and embedded subsystems
• Validate power sequencing, clocking, and high-speed interfaces
• Perform hands-on debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and lab instrumentation
• Conduct integration testing and support environmental qualification of flight hardware

FPGA & Firmware Development

• Develop FPGA-based solutions using Xilinx Vivado and related toolchains
• Implement RTL designs and achieve timing closure for high-performance systems
• Develop embedded Linux drivers and low-level firmware in C/C++ (Rust a plus)
• Optimize system performance across hardware and firmware boundaries

System Integration

• Integrate embedded hardware with spacecraft flight software and payload systems
• Support payload integration and data interface development
• Build test harnesses and validation infrastructure for subsystem testing
• Collaborate with spacecraft, payload, and mission engineering teams to ensure flight readiness

Your decisions will directly influence spacecraft capability, reliability, and mission performance.