Thermal Engineer

Role: Spacecraft Thermal Engineer

Function: Engineering

Location: US/Bengaluru

Type: Full-time

Industry: aviation & aerospace

About Company

A venture-backed startup founded in 2023, providing low-cost and reliable spacecraft components for LEO satellite applications. The company revolutionizes the space component supply chain by delivering essential ADCS parts faster and at lower prices.

Headquartered in the US with operations in Bengaluru, they specialize in reaction wheels, star trackers, and torque rods. The seed-stage team of 6 engineers helps satellite manufacturers reduce lead times and costs.

Theyve raised $2.2M to modernize space hardware and support the commercial space ecosystem.

Position Overview

Youll design and validate thermal systems that keep critical ADCS components operational in the harsh LEO environment. Youll establish thermal engineering processes at a fast-growing space startup while working directly on cutting-edge spacecraft hardware. This role offers hands-on ownership of thermal analysis from component-level design through complete mission lifecycle validation.

Role & Responsibilities

• You perform thermal analysis of varying fidelity on satellite components, ADCS subsystems, batteries, and high-powered electronics

• You conduct detailed thermal analysis and hand calculations to specify thermal environments, limits, and margins

• You support design trades balancing performance margins, resource use, risk, cost, and schedule constraints

• You design and execute thermal validation plans for complete spacecraft mission lifecycles at system and module levels

• You design thermal management subsystems and evaluate, procure, and test thermal solutions including heaters and heat pipes

• You build and execute simulations to understand on-orbit thermal performance of spacecraft systems

• You develop integration and assembly processes, install thermal hardware, and design thermal verification approaches

Must Have Criteria

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering field

• 2-5 years of experience in thermal design and analysis for aerospace or space applications

• Hands-on experience with Ansys Thermal Desktop for thermal modeling and simulation

• Experience designing and executing thermal tests for spacecraft or satellite components

• Strong understanding of heat transfer principles and mechanical/system engineering fundamentals

• Experience performing thermal validation testing including Thermal Vacuum Chamber tests

• Proven ability to perform detailed thermal analysis and hand calculations for system specifications

Nice to Have

• Previous experience working at space startups or satellite manufacturers

• Experience with ADCS components such as reaction wheels, star trackers, or torque rods

• Knowledge of LEO satellite thermal environments and mission requirements

• Experience with other thermal analysis software tools (SINDA/FLUINT, FloTHERM)

• Background in thermal interface materials, surface coatings, and passive thermal control systems

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape thermal engineering processes at a fast-growing space startup

• Direct impact on revolutionary ADCS components serving the commercial space industry

• Collaborative environment with experienced engineers from high-volume manufacturing scaleups

• Exposure to cutting-edge space hardware development and testing

• Growth opportunities in the rapidly expanding commercial space ecosystem