---
title: 'Radiation Effects Engineer - Modeling at Astranis'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/radiation-effects-engineer-modeling-astranis-san-francisco-5p0n4n0kp4m6'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-17'
---

# Radiation Effects Engineer - Modeling at Astranis

- **Company:** Astranis
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Compensation:** $120k–$145k
- **Posted:** 2026-10-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-17
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/astranis/jobs/4719442006

## Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe – large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military.

With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.

Astranis has raised over $1.2 billion from some of the world’s best investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Blackrock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and Snowpoint, and employs a team of 500 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Radiation Effects Engineer - Modeling

Astranis is bridging the digital divide by building and operating the next generation of smaller, lower-cost geostationary telecommunications satellites. As a Radiation Effects Engineer focused on modeling and theory, you will own the analytical definition of our spacecraft's radiation and charging environments, transforming physical theory into actionable design constraints. You will serve as an authority on radiation transport, orbital environment propagation, and charging physics. This modeling will help guide our hardware, mechanical, and systems teams in PCB design. Your work will directly define our engineering posture, allowing us to safely navigate geostationary orbit (GEO) and other space environments.

## Role

- Own the analytical model of the geostationary (GEO) radiation environment, modeling trapped particle populations (AP8/AP9, AE8/AE9), solar proton fluences (Sapphire), and galactic cosmic rays (CREME96)
- Perform high-fidelity 3D Monte Carlo and sector-analysis radiation transport simulations using FASTRAD against complex spacecraft CAD assemblies to generate local, component-level dose-depth curves
- Lead analytical studies on spacecraft charging, including surface charging (using NASCAP-2k or SPIS-SC) and internal charging (using FASTRAD internal charging calculations or SPIS-IC) to prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) risks
- Develop, scale, and maintain Python-based pipelines to process, analyze, and visualize transport simulation datasets, automating the generation of spacecraft-wide dose budgets
- Translate complex simulation data into actionable engineering guidance for shielding allocation, material selection, and electrical grounding architectures

## Requirements

- Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent.
- 2+ years of industry experience using radiation environment tools such as OMERE or SPENVIS and transport tools such as FASTRAD, Geant4, or MCNP
- Solid theoretical foundation in radiation interaction with matter, including ionization, non-ionizing energy loss, charge deposition, and secondary bremsstrahlung generation
- Experience modeling spacecraft charging physics and electric field buildup in dielectrics
- Proficiency in Python for mathematical post-processing, data scraping, and modeling automation
- High-degree of ownership and technical depth; ability to evaluate complex system trade-offs with sparse initial data

Bonus

- Master of Science or PhD in Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics, or equivalent with a research focus on space radiation environments or spacecraft charging phenomena
- Deep knowledge of deep dielectric charging failure mechanisms (ECEMP) and industry standard mitigations (grounding straps, conductive coatings, slot-venting geometries)
- Familiarity with the ISO 11221 spacecraft charging standard or MIL-STD-883 Test Method 1019

What we offer:

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits.

Base pay is just one component of Astranis’s total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high-quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on-site catered meals.

Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional-grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position.

Base Salary $120,000—$145,000 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and products are built for everyone, regardless of gender, race, creed, or background. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we invite all people to join our team and bring their unique perspectives to make us stronger.

Astranis SMS Terms of Service

- Recruiting Updates: By opting in, you agree to receive SMS updates, interview coordination, and recruiting communications from Astranis Space Technologies Corp.

- Opt-Out: You can cancel this service at any time by replying STOP. We will send one final text confirming your unsubscription.

- Opt-In Again: To resume receiving messages, reply START or YES.

- Support & Rates: For assistance, reply HELP or contact us at coordinators@astranis.com. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies; carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

- Privacy: For details on how we protect your data, view our [Privacy Policy](https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.astranis.com%2Flegal%2Fprivacy).

## About Astranis

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Astranis designs, builds, and operates small, radiation-hardened geostationary (GEO) satellites for dedicated broadband and government missions.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series E, total funding >$1.2B)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2015
- **Founders**: John Gedmark (CEO), Ryan McLinko (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Space Research and Technology – geostationary communications satellites.
- **Target customers**: Telecommunications operators (B2B), U.S. Government (Space Force, NASA), allied nations.
- **Mission statement**: “Connect the world” and “extend humanity’s reach beyond Low Earth Orbit.”

## Products & Services
- **[MicroGEO]**: A small, radiation-hardened GEO satellite that delivers dedicated broadband (up to 8.5 Gbit/s per satellite). Used for commercial connectivity and government missions (communications, PNT, science).
- **[Government Programs]**: Prime contractor for Space Force’s Resilient GPS program; contracts with NASA and other defense partners for high-orbit spacecraft.
- **[Satellite Services]**: End‑to‑end design, manufacture, test, and operation of GEO satellites. Over $1 billion in satellite services sold across 10+ satellites on contract.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding raised >$1.2 billion (latest Series E of $450M added in 2025).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: BlackRock, Venrock, Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator (Winter 2016 cohort). Customers include Pacific Dataport (Alaska), Orbits Corp (Philippines), Thaicom (Thailand), Orbith (Argentina), Apco Networks (Mexico), and U.S. Space Force.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount: 439 employees (+21.4% YoY) as of mid‑2025.
  - 5 satellites currently on orbit; 10+ under contract.
  - Goal to launch 100 satellites by 2030.
  - Selected to design next‑gen Resilient GPS satellites for Space Force.
  - Expanded into government science, PNT, and national security missions.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Only company building small, radiation‑hardened satellites for GEO** – traditional GEO satellites are behemoths costing hundreds of millions; Astranis’s compact design slashes cost and lead time.
- **In‑house manufacturing and testing** at Historic Pier 70 (San Francisco) – full vertical integration from machining to final test.
- **Radiation‑tolerant electronics** that survive the harsh GEO environment without expensive custom radiation‑hardened components.
- **Dedicated satellite networks** – each MicroGEO provides a private, resilient link, unlike shared LEO constellations.

## Strategic Focus
- Scale production to 100+ satellites by 2030, targeting both commercial broadband and major U.S. Government programs of record.
- Expand beyond communications into position, navigation, and timing (PNT), science, and national security missions.
- Strengthen “New Prime” role for defense space contracts.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Calling, not a career” – mission‑driven team working on the world’s most advanced high‑orbit satellites.
- **Work model**: Fully in‑person, 5 days per week at a historic factory/shipyard turned spaceship factory.
- **Compensation**: Competitive pay, broad equity ownership, and comprehensive health/wealth/well‑being benefits.
- **Impact**: Directly connect millions of people to affordable internet and support U.S. national security from space.
- **Growth**: 131 active job openings across hardware, software, manufacturing, operations, and government programs (as of mid‑2025).

## Sources
1. [astranis.com](https://www.astranis.com/)
2. [astranis.com/careers](https://www.astranis.com/careers)
3. [LinkedIn – Astranis](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astranis)
4. [Wikipedia – Astranis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astranis)
5. [Greenhouse – Astranis Jobs](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/astranis)

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