Satellite Verification & Validation Engineer - Mission leading & Test Scripting

In this role you will become an integral part of Aerospacelab’s V&V team as a Satellite V&V engineer, with the responsibility of being the V&V lead on a variety of space missions and contributing to our test scripting library.

As a V&V mission lead, you will be fully responsible to coordinate the functional V&V activities of specific space missions. This includes the planning, preparation and execution of V&V campaigns which are performed on representative avionics test benches, as well as on the satellite flight models that will eventually be launched into space. Through scripts and our test management system, you will interact with the satellite or equivalent test setups to verify and validate their design and good workmanship.

In a short timeline, you will have the opportunity to get in touch with the different verification phases of a satellite’s lifecycle (from conception to post-launch). Throughout these campaigns, you will increase your understanding of how the satellite works internally (both flight software & hardware units related to the different satellite subsystems), as well as in the context of its operational usage. A large focus of the mission leading is on the payload-specific tests for the mission you are involved with. You will participate in the launch campaign of the satellite, with satellite preparation & configuration activities on the launcher’s site. After launch, you will continue to support the validation of new flight software updates for your mission, in close collaboration with the flight software team and the mission manager.

In this role, you will also specialize in improving the generic V&V scripting library and its related processes in the V&V team, ensuring that there is a consistent application & usage of the libraries over all missions. You improve the quality, efficiency and reliability of our libraries; while contributing to the further automation of running our test campaigns.

1. Become responsible for functional verification & validation activities for multiple satellite projects, at subsystem/system/mission level:
2. 1. Writing and maintaining system test specifications & test plans, based on the requirements of the project, in close collaboration with the mission’s systems engineer, project manager and subsystem experts. Strong focus on payload V&V.
   2. Define and/or review GSE requirements together with GSE engineers to achieve agreed test scope.
   3. Develop & execute scripts, based on the test specifications.
   4. Manage the mission’s test setups (consisting of spacecraft units, test equipment, support equipment, …), either in ISO clean rooms or our test laboratories.
   5. Collect & analyze the data after execution, in close collaboration with the systems engineer, subsystem experts or the product owners of individual spacecraft units. Report in detail on the test results & contribute to the post-analysis. Generate & follow up on potential problem reports (non-conformances); assist in finding the root cause, solution/mitigation and lessons learned for the future.
3. Specialize in test scripting & automation:
4. 1. Contribute to the roadmap of our test scripting library improvements.
   2. Develop and improve our V&V scripts, ensuring consistency over all ASL satellite projects.
   3. Contribute to automation topics for continuous validation of new mission FSW features.
5. Contribute to our brainstorming sessions, knowledge base improvements, knowledge sharing sessions & internal processes improvements.
6. Continuously look for opportunities and the means to increase the team’s efficiency.

• Solid experience working with:
• • Programming languages; script programming and debugging (Python, JavaScript, Tcl, et cetera).
  • Data structures & algorithms.
  • IDEs (Visual Studio, IntelliJ, or other).
  • Version control tools (Gitlab, Github, et cetera).
  • Linux distributions & shell.
  • Usage of AI in development processes.
  • Experience with using Raspberry Pi’s or equivalent.
• Experience with functional or electrical AIT activities; EGSE environments and satellite functional test execution.
• Understanding of spacecraft telecommand/telemetry concepts and how they relate to test scripting.
• Knowledge of CI/CD concepts applied to test software (versioning, regression runs, automated reporting).
• Good satellite system-level thinking, good understanding of the avionics and major subsystems of a satellite (and how they interact with each other).
• Experience with contributing to major space project milestones & associated deliverables for PDR, CDR, etc. Strong understanding of the systems engineering lifecycle and review process (ECSS or NASA standards are a plus).
• Eye for detail and high-quality standards. Very structured way of coding.
• Experience working with QMS systems, in quality assurance activities, etc.
• Good communication, coordination skills: able to work across teams (systems, SW, HW, AIV, quality, PM) and escalate issues clearly to help bring multi-disciplinary projects to completion.
• Very proactive in looking for efficiency improvements & solutions to problems.
• Experience with reading & preparing detailed and complex technical documentation.
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal.
• Bachelor, Master or PhD degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.

• Knowledge of electrical systems & communication protocols.
• Knowledge of the ECSS or other standards related to testing, verification, systems engineering, quality, SW.
• Experience working in ISO clean rooms. Comfortable with handling sensitive space-qualified units, as well as test equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, spectrum analysers, base band equipment, et cetera. In case you have no experience, you are willing to learn how to operate them.