To succeed in the Space Kinetic interview process, you must demonstrate a unique blend of rigorous aerospace software engineering discipline and startup-minded agility. Your preparation should focus on showing that you can write highly reliable, deterministic code while moving fast to support physical prototypes.

Evaluate your preparation against these core criteria that the hiring team uses to assess candidates:

Technical Mastery of Embedded Systems – You must demonstrate deep expertise in C/C++ or Rust, pointer arithmetic, bitwise operations, memory management, and RTOS concepts. Interviewers want to see that you understand what the hardware is doing beneath the software layer.

Systems-Level Integration Mindset – Flight software does not run in a vacuum. You should show a strong understanding of how software interacts with electrical boards, actuators, sensors, and mechanical structures. Be ready to discuss interface control documents (ICDs) and hardware-software co-design.

Mission Safety & Fault Tolerance – In space, a single unhandled exception can mean losing a spacecraft. You must show that you naturally write defensive code, design robust fault-detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) systems, and prioritize deterministic behavior.

Startup Adaptability & Ownership – Space Kinetic is a lean, venture-backed team. They value engineers who take extreme ownership of a product from concept through production, can navigate ambiguity, and are excited about building a physical product from the ground up.

The interview process at Space Kinetic is thorough, technical, and highly aligned with the practical demands of building spacecraft software. The team values efficient communication and aims to move candidates through the pipeline quickly while maintaining a high bar for engineering excellence.

The process begins with an initial technical recruiter screen to discuss your background, interest in space technologies, and alignment with ITAR and security clearance requirements. Following this, you will typically complete a technical phone interview with a senior or lead engineer. This round focuses on embedded systems fundamentals, C/C++ coding, and your experience working with hardware.

If you pass the initial technical screen, you will be invited to a comprehensive virtual or onsite interview loop. This loop consists of deep-dive technical sessions covering system design, flight software architecture, hardware-in-the-loop testing strategies, and behavioral alignment. Throughout the process, the team will evaluate your ability to think critically under constraints and collaborate across engineering disciplines.

The timeline above outlines the typical progression from your first contact to a final offer. Candidates should use this sequence to pace their study, focusing first on low-level coding and RTOS theory, and later on high-level system architecture and behavioral scenarios. While the exact duration can vary depending on candidate availability and team scheduling, Space Kinetic strives to keep the process moving rapidly to match their prototyping cadence.