Bernard Smit
About Bernard Smit
Bernard Smit is the Avionics Team Lead at Astranis, where he has worked since 2019. He has extensive experience in electrical engineering, having held various positions at Planet and Nuvation Engineering over a career spanning more than a decade.
Work at Astranis
Bernard Smit has been serving as the Avionics Team Lead at Astranis since 2019. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the avionics systems used in satellite technology. His work involves utilizing rapid design and prototype methodologies to reduce the time from concept to flight. Smit focuses on design fault analysis and the creation of fault-tolerant systems that are customized to meet specific customer requirements.
Previous Experience at Planet
Prior to his current position, Bernard Smit worked at Planet as a Senior Electrical Engineer from 2017 to 2018. He then transitioned to the role of Lead, Electrical Engineering at Planet from 2018 to 2019. His tenure at Planet spanned a total of approximately one and a half years, during which he contributed to various projects in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Experience at Nuvation Engineering
Bernard Smit has extensive experience at Nuvation Engineering, where he held multiple roles over several years. He worked as a Staff Hardware Engineer from 2006 to 2010, then as a Senior Design Engineer from 2010 to 2015, and later as a Principal Engineer from 2015 to 2017. His responsibilities included designing radiation-tolerant circuits and managing spacecraft charging effects to ensure the reliability of electronic systems.
Education and Expertise
Bernard Smit earned a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Engineering Science with a focus on Electronics and Physics from Simon Fraser University, where he studied from 2000 to 2005. His educational background supports his expertise in designing radiation-tolerant circuits and employing techniques such as derating and fatigue analysis to enhance electronic system reliability.