Following its recent merger with xAI, SpaceX has opened roles for silicon photonics design engineers and a senior role in the same field. These specialists will be tasked with developing custom Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) that use light instead of electricity to process data.
This move may prove central to CEO Elon Musk’s vision of orbital data centres, which aim to address the significant heat and power challenges of running AI in space. These roles will also develop custom high-speed chips to enable higher data rates and lower power consumption for the Starlink constellation.
In addition to the xAI merger, this recruitment drive follows a recent proposal to the Federal Communications Commission, released and adopted as of January 9, 2026. Through this, SpaceX aims to launch up to one million compute-heavy satellites to create a solar-powered data centre in orbit. Currently, the company has about 14,500 active satellites in low Earth orbit.
These ‘AI satellites’ utilise radiation-hardened accelerators and co-packaged optics to process massive workloads for Grok and other AI models directly in space. By controlling the entire lifecycle from rocket launch to chip architecture, SpaceX has eliminated its reliance on external vendors, allowing for a power density of 100 kilowatts per tonne that is currently unmatched in the commercial aerospace sector.
Engineers will design optical building blocks like modulators and photodiodes to enhance satellite connectivity. This move seeks to solve terrestrial power and cooling constraints by utilising constant solar energy in space.
The job description specifies that SpaceX requires candidates with at least two years of experience in electro-optical integrated-circuit design. Senior roles demand five years of expertise to lead cross-disciplinary teams in firmware and architecture.
The engineers will develop “cutting-edge next-generation PIC for deployment in space and ground infrastructures.” These chips enable connectivity in regions where the internet is not currently “available, affordable or reliable.”
The role also involves designing wideband circuits capable of supporting data rates exceeding 100 Gbps. Successful applicants will work on co-packaged optics solutions to integrate optical engines directly with AI processors.
This strategy allows the company to mass-produce hardware in-house rather than relying on external semiconductor vendors. By internalising the development of PICs and high-speed Application-Specific Integrated Circuits, the company is building a proprietary hardware stack that performs more efficiently in isolation than off-the-shelf components.
This shift is evidenced by the $280 million expansionof its Bastrop and Redmond facilities, which now provide significant capacity for Printed Circuit Board assembly and advanced chip packaging.
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