Senior Thermal Design Engineer
About The Position
K2 Space is building large, high-powered spacecraft for the next generation of space development. Backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Altimeter Capital, and many others ($200M raised to date), we intend to mass produce the highest-powered satellite platforms ever built for missions across LEO to Deep Space. The rise of launch vehicles like Falcon 9 and Starship enables the move from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance. We believe this new era requires spacecraft with a fundamentally different design in order to fully utilize the massive rockets coming to market. We’re a team that believes the future lies in building large, high-powered satellites that can handle multiple orbits. This is a necessity if we ever want to develop the solar system, and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series B space startup, we’d love for you to apply. The Role You will be a core driver of the detailed thermal design of spacecraft subsystems by running thermal analysis at both the component and spacecraft level. You will also be involved in exploring different thermal management strategies and demonstrating them through test campaigns. Our ideal candidate has experience with in-orbit integrated thermal analysis of spacecraft components using both first principles as well analytical models using software tools (such as Thermal Desktop, Ansys IcePak, and Python for automation purposes). Hands-on experience with thermal testing for spacecraft components such as thermal cycling and TVAC is highly preferred.
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience with satellite thermal design and analysis
- Demonstrated experience with radiative and conductive thermal modeling of spacecraft systems using Thermal Desktop
- Experience with selection, sizing, and design of thermal control hardware including heat pipes, heaters, stickers, OSR, thermal straps, thermal paints, tapes, MLI, TEC
- Experience with thermal cycling and thermal vacuum testing including predictions, setup, instrumentation and thermal model correlation
Nice To Haves
- Experience with full-vehicle thermal vacuum testing and model correlation
- Experience with spacecraft thermal design optimized for cost, reliability, performance and manufacturability
- Experience with integrated thermal analysis of spacecraft and rocket
- Experience with solar panel thermal modeling
- Experience with electrical PCBA thermal modeling and thermal interface materials (thermal grease, gap pads, etc.)
- Experience with spacecraft primary radiator design and analysis
- Familiarity with SMC-S016 standard or equivalent
- Experience with Python, C/C++, or Matlab for thermal modeling and automated data analysis
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with Mechanical teams to develop passive and active thermal control hardware for the spacecraft including radiators, heaters, heat pipes, and surface coating
- Partner with Avionics teams to develop thermal models and thermal tests for electronic assemblies
- Work with the GNC teams to define and thermally analyze nominal and contingency cases for in-orbit operations of the spacecraft
- Develop and maintain thermal models for spacecraft and sub-components using Thermal Desktop and Ansys
- Interface with vendors and launcher providers to understand their design and translate it into thermal-related requirements
- Automate data analysis to support architectural trades effectively
- Set up and execute thermal testing ranging from development to qualification
Benefits
- Base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $180,000 + equity in the company
- Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level
- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision/ coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
51-100 employees
