Terran Orbital Corporation
Spacecraft Thermal Engineer (I/II)
About this role
Terran Orbital seeks a Spacecraft Thermal Engineer (Level I or II) to design, analyze, and verify thermal systems for satellites across their full lifecycle—from concept through operations. You'll develop thermal models, conduct testing, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to mitigate thermal risks in various orbital environments.
What you'll do
- Develop and correlate thermal models for spacecraft subsystems using numerical methods and hand calculations across different space environments
- Translate spacecraft operations concepts into representative thermal design scenarios with system engineers
- Lead thermal verification testing campaigns, including off-hours support, and correlate results to model predictions
- Identify constraining thermal design elements and recommend mitigation strategies from concept through production
- Prepare technical documentation and presentations of thermal analysis and test results for management and customers
- Support business development activities including proposals, white papers, and trade study analysis
What they're looking for
- Thermal Desktop software expertise
- Heat transfer fundamentals (radiation, conduction) in space environments
- Orbital mechanics and thermal design for LEO, MEO, GEO orbits
- CAD software (SolidWorks or equivalent)
- Computational scripting (MATLAB, Python, or Mathematica)
- Thermal vacuum and ambient pressure testing
- Spacecraft subsystems and mission architecture knowledge
- Data acquisition systems and instrumentation
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Terran Orbital Corporation
Terran Orbital Corporation develops satellites and spacecraft systems, managing their design, thermal management, and integration throughout the complete lifecycle. The company is hiring spacecraft engineers, thermal specialists, and launch integration experts to support its satellite development and launch operations.
- Website
- terranorbital.com
Likely interview questions
- Describe your experience developing thermal models for spacecraft—what tools have you used and what orbital environments have you analyzed?
- How have you approached correlating thermal test data to model predictions, and what challenges have you encountered?