---
title: 'Software Engineer (Mission Applications) at Astranis'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-mission-applications-astranis-san-francisco-ag6zrvwkn76n'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-17'
---

# Software Engineer (Mission Applications) at Astranis

- **Company:** Astranis
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Compensation:** $130k–$175k
- **Posted:** 2026-10-14
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-17
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/astranis/jobs/4721733006

## 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.

Software Engineer - Mission Applications

As a Software Engineer on the Mission Applications team, you will design, build, and administrate the mission-critical software used to command, monitor, and coordinate our satellites and ground networks. Your work spans the entire lifecycle, including pre-sales tools to forecast satellite and network performance, satellite commanding, telemetry monitoring, payload operations, payload testing, and network service coordination. You will tackle soup to nuts engineering problems, taking features from operational concepts through backend services and out to operators in mission control.

This role contributes to both commercial and US Government programs.

## Role

- Lead the design, implementation, and lifecycle of software used for satellite commanding, health monitoring, and fleet management.
- Build services and tools that coordinate network operations, payload operations, and automated payload testing.
- Develop analytical and forecasting tools to evaluate satellite and network performance in support of pre-sales and capacity planning.
- Own features end to end, from backend architecture and database modeling to operator-facing interfaces and automation scripts.
- Deliver resilient, high-consequence software workflows that send commands directly to space vehicles and ground stations.
- Build and maintain web-based operator tools for commanding consoles, telemetry visualization, execution tracking, and procedure orchestration.
- Automate operational workflows across spacecraft testing, mission rehearsals, on-orbit operations, and anomaly investigation.
- Partner directly with payload engineers, network engineers, system architects, and flight operators to define operational requirements and software architecture.

## Requirements

- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 4+ years of professional software engineering experience.
- Demonstrated track record of end to end ownership, taking complex technical problems from initial conception to production operations.
- Strong proficiency in Python or similar backend languages.
- Experience building and maintaining backend services using frameworks such as FastAPI, Flask, or gRPC.
- Experience working with relational databases such as PostgreSQL, including schema design, query optimization, and data modeling.
- Working familiarity with modern web technologies (TypeScript, JavaScript, React) to build functional, dependable internal tools and operator dashboards.
- Experience designing reliable APIs and event-driven architectures.
- Experience deploying and operating services in production environments using Linux and Docker.
- Comfort reasoning about complex distributed state and operational workflows.
- Strong initiative and autonomy in navigating ambiguous operational problems.

Bonus

- Experience designing and operating distributed systems.
- Experience using and developing observability tools across the full stack.
- Experience deploying and managing workloads across Kubernetes, multi-cloud environments, and on-prem infrastructure.
- Experience in aerospace, satellite operations, or industrial automation.
- Experience with real-time telemetry processing, time-series data, or distributed pub/sub systems.
- Familiarity with mission operations or automated testing frameworks.
- Experience building software under strict reliability or high-consequence execution constraints.

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 $130,000—$175,000 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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