About the role
We are looking for a Simulation & Modeling Engineer who will build and own Wardstone’s end-to-end physics models: orbital mechanics, interceptor trajectories, guidance/dynamics, dispersion behavior, aerodynamic models, sensor models, thermal effects, and Monte Carlo analysis.
This role is central to Wardstone’s entire engineering process. Your models will define vehicle design and intercept feasibility, ΔV budgets, terminal constraints, survival envelopes, effectiveness, and system-level design trades.
You will work directly with the founders GNC, Propulsion, Sensor, and Avionics engineers to connect your models to real test data and ensure every design choice is grounded in physics.
What You’ll Do
Interceptor Dynamics Modeling
- Build high-fidelity 6DOF models of interceptor trajectories and target maneuvers.
- Model aerodynamic forces, flight regimes (subsonic → hypersonic), and uncertainties.
- Implement full state propagation with drag, atmospheric effects, gravity, and actuator limits.
Orbital Mechanics & VLEO Modeling
- Implement orbital propagators, Lambert solvers, and multi-body dynamics.
- Model VLEO drag, solar flux, eclipse cycles, thermal conditions, and station-keeping budgets.
- Quantify ΔV requirements for intercept geometries and constellation designs.
Guidance, Control & Sensor Model Integration
- Integrate GNC algorithms into simulation environments.
- Model perception pipelines: IR signatures, SNR, glint, thermal clutter, and atmospheric attenuation.
- Build closed-loop simulations with perception → guidance → actuation → dynamics → intercept logic.
