Spacecraft Thermal Engineer

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE As an end-to-end responsive space company, Firefly Aerospace is on a mission to enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. Our small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles allow us to service the entire lifecycle of government and commercial missions from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond.

We utilize carbon composite structures, patented propulsion technologies, and common components across our vehicles to iterate quickly, improve reliability, and deliver payloads at a lower cost.

Firefly Thermal Engineers apply simulation and first-principles of heat transfer to solve challenging spacecraft thermal problems encountered throughout vehicle design, development, testing, and flight. Working alongside experienced engineers, Level I Thermal Engineers develop analytical models, support testing, evaluate thermal control concepts, and contribute to spacecraft that operate in some of the most demanding environments imaginable.

This role is ideal for an engineer eager to build expertise in spacecraft thermal analysis while learning industry-standard tools and engineering practices.

• Support development of spacecraft thermal models under guidance from senior engineers.
• Perform thermal analyses using established methods and document assumptions, inputs, and results.
• Assist with subsystem and vehicle thermal trade studies.
• Create and maintain Thermal Desktop models and supporting analytical tools.
• Support thermal vacuum testing by preparing models, reviewing test data, and correlating analytical predictions.
• Evaluate spacecraft thermal control hardware including MLI, coatings, heaters, insulation, and radiators.
• Work closely with propulsion, structures, avionics, GNC, and systems engineers to understand thermal interfaces.
• Present analysis results during internal design reviews and incorporate technical feedback.
• Continuously improve technical knowledge of spacecraft thermal engineering methods and tools.

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field
• 0–3 years of relevant engineering experience
• Fundamental understanding of heat transfer principles
• Familiarity with engineering simulation software (Thermal Desktop, ANSYS, COMSOL, Simcenter, or similar)
• Basic programming experience with Python or MATLAB
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively on multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Internship or research experience involving spacecraft, aerospace, or thermal analysis
• Exposure to thermal testing or laboratory instrumentation
• Familiarity with CAD software
• Experience with Thermal Desktop
• Understanding of spacecraft thermal control concepts