Thermal Engineer

About Cowboy Space Corp:
Mission

Cowboy Space Corporation is solving the global energy crisis by building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. We are tackling one of humanity’s most complex engineering challenges with a world-class team dedicated to delivering a revolutionary power platform. Cowboy Space Corporation is transforming how civilization powers, computes and connects - from orbit to Earth.

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our modular, scalable satellites collect sunlight in Low Earth Orbit to enable multiple integrated applications: transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit high-performance computing clusters (GPU/TPU), and providing secure, high bandwidth optical data transport. Current energy and data systems rely on complex logistics and outdated infrastructure.

Cowboy Space Corporation overcomes these challenges by enabling direct, on-demand, secure, and scalable energy distribution and data processing from space. This will revolutionize how we operate in orbit and on Earth, supporting the rapidly expanding space industrial base, ISAM (In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing) operations, remote regions, and military bases. Baiju Bhatt founded Cowboy Space Corporation in 2024. Inspired by his father’s work with NASA Langley Research Center, Baiju earned his B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Mathematics at Stanford before co-founding Robinhood, now a public company that has helped over 20 million Americans access the financial system.

Cowboy Space Corporation has raised ~$365 million from Index Ventures, Interlagos, Construct Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and others. This is an ambitious mission that demands extraordinary talent. Cowboy Space Corporation ’s team has worked at places like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Stoke Space, Astranis and NASA, and is based in San Carlos, CA. If you're ready to solve complex technical challenges and help build the most important energy company in the world, we want to hear from you.

As a Thermal Engineer you will design, analyze, implement and demonstrate thermal management solutions for our space-based power and compute platform. This role will focus on developing thermal control strategies for high-power laser systems, high-power compute platforms, spacecraft electronics, and structural components operating in extreme space environments. The ideal candidate will have experience with spacecraft thermal design, analysis, testing, and on-orbit demonstration, ensuring reliable performance in Low Earth Orbit.

• Thermal System Design:
  Develop spacecraft thermal management architectures, including active and passive cooling solutions for high-power and high-heat-flux components.
• Thermal Analysis & Modeling:
  Utilise thermal simulation tools such as ANSYS Thermal Desktop to predict system behavior in space conditions.
• Thermal System Optimization:
  After developing component- and system-level models, identify overall optimum solutions that consider overall size, weight and power.
• Thermal Testing & Validation:
  Develop, support and execute thermal cycle and thermal-vacuum tests to demonstrate flight-worthiness of components, subsystems and spacecraft.
• Integration with Mechanical & Electrical Systems:
  Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and build and test engineers to ensure seamless integration of thermal management solutions.
• Material Selection:
  Identify space-grade thermal materials, coatings, and insulation for spacecraft structures.
• Reliability & Safety:
  Conduct failure mode analysis and implement redundancy in thermal control systems.
• Collaboration:
  
  Work with optics, avionics, and propulsion teams to address thermal constraints in system design.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in thermal analysis and design of spacecraft thermal systems.
• Proficiency with thermal modeling software such as ANSYS Thermal Desktop.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics…