Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer Verified today
About Aerospacelab
Aerospacelab designs and manufactures small satellites combined with earth observation services. Since 2018, the company has grown to over 25 engineering specialists across hardware design, software development, and data science. By 2026, Aerospacelab will have offices in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), Toulouse (France), Lausanne (Switzerland), and US West Coast, with over 500 full-time employees, positioning itself as the European leader in small satellites.
Role Overview
As a Spacecraft Thermal Engineer, you will own the thermal architecture of our satellites from early mission concept through qualification, launch, and in-orbit operations. You will define thermal control strategies for spacecraft from launch and LEOP through nominal operations, safe mode, and end of life.
You will work closely with system engineers, mechanical designers, structural engineers, payload teams, and the AIT department. As a senior member of the thermal discipline, you will shape thermal methodologies, mentor engineers, and drive automation of the thermal analysis workflow across our growing satellite portfolio.
Key Activities
- Lead the thermal architecture definition and sizing of the thermal control subsystem at satellite level
- Develop, maintain, and own satellite-level geometrical and mathematical thermal models
- Define thermal test requirements and lead or support thermal balance and thermal vacuum campaigns at unit, subsystem, and satellite level, from test prediction to post-test analysis
- Correlate thermal models using test and in-flight telemetry data, and feed lessons learned back into the design of future satellites
- Provide thermal recommendations to hardware, payload, and mechanical teams during design trade-offs, and review supplier thermal data and models
- Prepare technical documentation including thermal design definition, analysis reports, test specifications, test reports, and correlation reports; represent the thermal discipline at design reviews
- Represent the thermal discipline with suppliers, customers, and partners during key project phases
- Mentor junior thermal engineers and promote best practices, modelling standards, and verification approaches across projects
- Drive the development of automated tools and scripts to streamline the thermal workflow
Must Have
- MSc or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related field
- Solid understanding of the space thermal environment
- Extensive experience in spacecraft thermal design and analysis
- Extensive hands-on experience with Systema-Thermica or ESATAN-TMS
- Strong knowledge of spacecraft thermal control hardware and its sizing
- Experience with satellite-level thermal test campaigns, including test prediction, data processing, and model correlation
- Familiarity with relevant standards (ECSS, NASA)
- Proven ability to independently lead the thermal design of a satellite or subsystem through to qualification
- Excellent communication skills, team spirit, and a proactive mindset
- Fluency in English
Nice to Have
- Experience with FEM analysis software (e.g., Simcenter)
- Good knowledge of the ECSS standard
- Ability to automate tasks using scripting languages like Python