AOCS / ADCS ENGINEER
Role: AOCS / ADCS Engineer
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Gurugram, India
Educational Qualification: BE/BTech in Electrical Engineer, Electronics Engineer
Work Experience: 6-8+ years of relevant work experience
Role Description:
Design and develop Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS/AOCS) for satellites, including sensors, actuators, and control algorithms for precise pointing and stabilization. Collaborate with system, software, and hardware teams to ensure performance, reliability, and mission requirements are met. Support simulation, integration, testing, and in-orbit operations across the mission lifecycle.
Responsibilities & Duties:
- Design and develop Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS/AOCS) for satellite missions
- Define AOCS architecture, including selection and sizing of sensors (star trackers, sun sensors, IMUs) and actuators (reaction wheels, magnetorquers, thrusters)
- Develop and implement attitude determination algorithms (e.g., Kalman filtering, sensor fusion)
- Design and tune control algorithms for various mission modes (detumbling, sun-pointing, Earth-pointing, fine pointing)
- Perform mission analysis and AOCS performance simulations using tools such as MATLAB / Simulink and GMAT or equivalent
- Conduct trade studies to optimize AOCS performance, stability, and resource utilization
- Develop high-fidelity mathematical models for spacecraft dynamics, sensors, and actuators
- Define and manage AOCS budgets (pointing accuracy, stability, momentum, power)
- Support integration of AOCS hardware and software with onboard systems
- Collaborate with flight software teams for implementation of control algorithms in embedded systems
- Develop and execute test plans for AOCS validation, including SIL/HIL simulations
- Support environmental and system-level testing (vibration, thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC)
- Analyze telemetry data and validate AOCS performance during testing and in-orbit operations
- Support LEOP, commissioning, and in-orbit operations including anomaly detection and resolution
- Maintain technical documentation including design reports, simulation results, and test reports
- Participate in design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and technical discussions
- Troubleshoot AOCS-related issues and perform root cause analysis
- Collaborate with systems, propulsion, RF, and payload teams for integrated mission design
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to knowledge sharing within the team
Desirable Skills & Certifications:
- Strong expertise in attitude determination and control algorithms (Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, control system design)
- Proficiency in modeling and simulation tools such as MATLAB / Simulink and GMAT
- Experience with spacecraft dynamics, orbital mechanics, and multi-body simulation
- Knowledge of AOCS sensors and actuators (star trackers, IMUs, reaction wheels, magnetorquers, thrusters)
- Familiarity with embedded implementation of control algorithms and hardware-software integration
- Understanding of space standards and guidelines (ECSS, NASA, ISRO) for AOCS design and verification
- Strong analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills for performance optimization and anomaly resolution
