Spacecraft Thermal Analysis Engineer

Astrion; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Astrion is seeking an experienced Thermal Analysis Engineer to support NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. The role focuses on developing, analyzing, and validating thermal control systems for crewed and uncrewed spacecraft, collaborating across teams to ensure reliable thermal performance.

The candidate will lead high-fidelity modeling, perform steady-state and transient analyses, and participate in design reviews to ensure NASA requirements are met.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an accredited institution.
• 2–5 years of relevant engineering experience.
• Experience with thermal analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop, COMSOL, ANSYS Fluent, or similar industry-standard software.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer principles and spacecraft thermal environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across multiple technical disciplines.
• Ability to assess and validate thermal designs for technical accuracy and requirements compliance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain simplified to high-fidelity thermal models using Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, and related tools.
• Perform steady-state and transient thermal analyses for spacecraft components, subsystems, and integrated vehicle configurations.
• Evaluate thermal performance across mission phases, including ascent, cruise, lunar orbit, surface operations, and off-nominal scenarios.
• Conduct thermal sensitivity studies in support of vendor vehicle designs, Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) designs, and requirements development.
• Support thermal verification and validation activities, including test planning, thermal vacuum testing, data analysis, and model correlation.
• Collaborate with design teams to optimize Passive Thermal Control System (PTCS) and Active Thermal Control System (ATCS) architectures.
• Provide guidance on thermal design considerations and ensure compliance with NASA requirements and industry best practices.
• Participate in design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and anomaly investigations.
• Review NASA and vendor thermal designs for technical accuracy and requirements compliance.
• Document analysis results, prepare technical reports, and present findings to internal stakeholders and NASA customers.
• Support integration with systems engineering, mission operations, and hardware development teams throughout the engineering lifecycle.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Thermal Desktop

SINDA/FLUINT

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Heat transfer principles

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Thermal Desktop

COMSOL

ANSYS Fluent

Job description

Astrion is seeking an experienced Thermal Analysis Engineer to support NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. The role focuses on developing, analyzing, and validating thermal control systems for crewed and uncrewed spacecraft, collaborating across teams to ensure reliable thermal performance.

The candidate will lead high-fidelity modeling, perform steady-state and transient analyses, and participate in design reviews to ensure NASA requirements are met.