A satellite communications engineer designs and provides technical support for hardware and software systems used to communicate with a satellite and track its location while it travels. This job requires you to design new communications systems, update existing ones to be more efficient, or instruct technicians on how to deploy equipment according to plans. You also have to ensure that communications equipment can project and receive signals with as little latency as possible. Another of your responsibilities as a satellite communications engineer is to test systems in a simulated environment before you develop and install them in a satellite pre-launch.