Astrodynamics

About Apolink

Apolink is building the first-ever backward-compatible data relay constellation in low Earth orbit. By enabling efficient data aggregation and relay through our hybrid RF-optical inter-satellite link (ISL) architecture, we support scalable and resilient space infrastructure across commercial, federal, and defense applications.

About The Role

In this role, you'll design the constellation, verify RAAN and phasing, and run the coverage analysis that shows which architectures meet customer SLAs. You'll also build the propulsion and Δv budgets for deployment, station-keeping, collision avoidance, and de-orbit. This starts with our upcoming paired demonstration satellite mission and scales to the full LEO relay constellation. You'll work directly with the bus, propulsion, and optical/RF link teams and turn orbital analysis into hardware and mission requirements. The role is hands-on end to end: modeling, trade studies, maneuver planning, and on-orbit operations.

Responsibilities:

• Design and own constellation architecture: plane count, altitude, inclination, LTAN, and intra- and inter-plane phasing, traded against coverage, launch cost, and ISL geometry

• Run SLA-grade coverage analysis on link-closing access: handover continuity, window durations, gap statistics, and percent-time-covered for specific target orbits.

• Work with the RF team to close coverage and access analysis against real RF link budgets rather than geometric visibility alone. This means computing access windows only where range, elevation, off-boresight angle, Doppler, and slant-path losses support the required data rate and margin.

• Model ISL relative geometry between constellation members and customer spacecraft, including range, angular constraints, and handover timing. Iterate with the RF and optical teams so orbit design and link design converge.

• Develop Δv and propellant budgets for drag makeup across the solar cycle, station-keeping, collision avoidance, and end-of-life disposal. Provide thruster and propellant sizing inputs to the bus team.

• Build and maintain the orbit determination, ephemeris, and maneuver-planning pipeline. Own conjunction screening and CDM response through Space-Track and commercial SSA providers.

• Provide orbital parameters and deorbit analysis for the commercial FCC and ITU filings.

Qualifications:

• Direct, hands-on experience with LEO mission or constellation design: orbit selection, SSO design, and station-keeping for flown or flight-bound spacecraft.