Spacecraft Passive Thermal Engineer

Spacecraft Passive Thermal Engineer (Senior Member of Technical Staff/Project Engineer - Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering)

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation's space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you'll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

Building on The Aerospace Corporation's reputation as a trusted, impartial advisor with integrity and dedication to mission success, the Civil Systems Group (CSG) combines deep technical expertise with market-leading innovation to help our customers solve complex systems engineering and integration challenges. CSG is organized by core customer-facing lines of business to manage and grow programs within NASA, NOAA, and the NNSA, while extending our capabilities to other civilian federal government agencies fully integrated within Aerospace rules, regulations, processes, values, and behaviors.

The customer facing CSG program office works closely with various technical engineering and technology groups throughout the company and across the country. This specific position will work closely with the Aerospace Vehicle Systems Division and the locally managed Thermal Control Department. The Thermal Control Department is a team of experienced, trusted engineers with deep expertise in the design and analysis of spacecraft thermal control systems from component to system level. The department performs technical studies, experimental investigations, and real time assessments to inform and enable key decisions by our customers and their contractors.

We are looking for a Spacecraft Passive Thermal Engineer (Senior Member of Technical Staff/Project Engineer - Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering) with a strong background in the disciplines of heat transfer and thermal engineering; and direct experience in design, analysis, integration, and test for passive thermal control systems. The successful applicant will support primarily unclassified spacecraft programs with emphasis on crewed systems. They will engage and advocate for the best solutions, best practices, and best innovations for critical thermal control issues on supported programs.

This position is located in Houston, TX., at Johnson Space Center.

What You'll Be Doing

• Evaluate and analyze the Passive Thermal Control System (PTCS) for the Orion crewed vehicle and missions while maintaining interfaces with other vehicles outside the program.
• Lead and perform, as necessary, high priority thermal analyses supporting the Orion vehicle through all missions and mission phases, including realtime analysis of telemetered data in test and flight.
• Lead and perform, as necessary, high priority and independent assessment of critical aspects of the design or interaction with cross program systems/elements such as the Active Thermal Control System.
• Develop/compile a portfolio of models appropriate to support integrated analysis required for SE&I, cross program, and other insight groups.
• Identify, as necessary, analyses that are needed to verify or confirm the design for different environments, mission phases, segments, operations, and performance of key components.
• Develop, as needed, thermal analysis and data workflows and visualizations to improve the speed and accuracy of key program decisions, including real-time decisions during flight.
• Identify and track key thermal specific metrics including temperature and heat rejection margins of the passive thermal control system (PTCS).
• Support and monitor key trade decisions and performance characteristics including:
• Mass trades, heat rejection and temperature margins, materials/coatings/survivability, effect of dust on heat rejection, heater sizing, insulation layups, etc.
• System level, component, and subsystem level requirements

• Additional duties may include supporting Systems Engineering & Integration (SE&I) for PTCS:

• Advise the ES3 Passive Thermal Teams in development of verification closure plans, requirement management, and risk analysis.
• Provide guidance on evaluation of contractor deliverables for SE&I products.
• Coordinate with the provider to understand data, analysis, models, and simulation deliverables; verify claims of accuracy, boundary conditions, results, model correlation, and model V&V.
• Coordinate between the providers and NASA program management to observe and understand and guide integration and testing goals, plans, constraints, and requirements at all levels of assembly and maturity including development testing through functional and environmental testing. Review test plans and participate in test coordination milestone reviews and activities.
• Assist in the Verification, Validation, & Certification of the passive thermal control systems.

• Provide mentorship and guidance to early-career engineers in the PTCS and Thermal SE&I fields, equipping them with the technical knowledge, industry best practices, and problem-solving skills essential for future NASA missions.

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements for a Sr. Member of Technical Staff:

• B.S. degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or closely related field with emphasis in heat transfer or thermal sciences
• 4+ years thermal engineering and/or systems engineering experience
• Experience with the design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, and operation of thermal control systems for all relevant modes of heat transfer, both passive and active, and through all phases of program lifecycle
• Experience with SINDA/FLUINT and Thermal Desktop software; other applicable software include Creo, SolidWorks, SpaceClaim, CAMEO, and scripting languages such as FORTRAN, python and MATLAB
• Experience with thermal vacuum (TVAC), thermal cycle, and other environmental test programs
• Willing to travel occasionally to contractor facilities approximately 20% time
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

In addition to the requirements above, the minimum requirements for a Project Engineer are:

• 6 or more years of thermal engineering and/or systems engineering experience
• Experience with thermal vacuum (TVAC), thermal cycle, and other environmental test programs
• Demonstrated initiative and excellent leadership skills, with proven ability to build and manage effective engineering teams of 2 or more people with delivery of expected results

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in mechanical or aerospace engineering or closely related field with emphasis in heat transfer or thermal sciences
• Deep knowledge of NASA heritage passive thermal control systems.
• Proficiency with Finite Element Analysis tools such as Abaqus or ANSYS Mechanical for detailed component thermal modeling
• Proficiency with Systems Engineering tools including Microsoft Project, DOORS, FMECA, and MBSE tools
• Experience in adjacent engineering disciplines for spaceflight hardware: systems engineering, integration and test, control systems, thermal protection systems, fluid or propulsion systems, power systems, flight software and telemetry systems
• Current and active Secret or higher U.S. Government security clearance

We offer a competitive compensation package where you'll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)

$100,300.00 - $175,900.00Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change
• Engage with Impact
• Foster Innovation
• Deliver Results

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type. A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-