Ready to Apply?
This will take you to Astranis's application page
Job Description
Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.
Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.
Thermal Engineer
As an Astranis Thermal Engineer, you will design, evaluate and test thermal solutions ranging from electronic chips to full spacecraft thermal vacuum tests.You must have a strong problem-solving background as well as hands-on testing skills. Experience with spacecraft or printed circuit board thermal mitigation are benefits but not required.
Role
- Mature designs through conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design phases using practical passive and active thermal control techniques.
- Support design trades that successfully balance performance margins, resource use, risk, cost, and schedule.
- Perform thermal analysis to varying degrees of fidelity (simplified to detailed) on a variety of different types of hardware such as propulsion components, batteries, high powered electronics, RF components, mechanisms, and printed circuit boards (PCBs).
- Design, evaluate, procure and test thermal solutions such as heaters, heat pipes, thermal interface materials, and surface coatings.
- Develop processes and procedures for integration and assembly which ensure thermal design intent is met. Collaborate with the integration and test team; provide assistance with the installation of thermal hardware as needed.
- Plan and run thermal vacuum testing and verification at the component and spacecraft level.
- Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly-growing team.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or physics
- Experience in thermal analysis and thermally-constrained design; computational thermal design experience (finite methods) is not required but highly preferred
- Proficiency with mechanical CAD
- A passion and enthusiasm for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development
- Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.
Bonus
- Experience with Thermal Desktop
- Experience with Electronics Packaging and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design
- Experience building and operating high vacuum systems
Job Details
- Department
- Mechanical
- Category
- Mechanical
- Location
- San Francisco
- Last updated
- Dec 26, 2025, 07:54 PM
About Astranis
Part of the growing space industry ecosystem pushing humanity toward interplanetary exploration.
More Roles at Astranis
- →
Satellite Operator
San Francisco • 8 days ago
- →
Avionics Test Specialist
San Francisco • 1 day ago
- →
Mechanical Engineer
San Francisco • 4 days ago
- →
Senior Manager, Sales Finance – U.S. Government Programs
San Francisco, CA • 7 days ago
- →
Communications/DSP Engineer Intern (Spring 2026)
San Francisco • 4 days ago
Similar Mechanical Roles
- →
Spacecraft Structural Analysis Engineer II/ Senior Spacecraft Structural Analysis Engineer I PIPELINE
Rocket Lab • Long Beach, CA • 21 days ago
- →
Multidisciplinary Design Analysis and Optimization Engineer II
Relativity Space • Long Beach, California • 13 days ago
- →
Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer II/ Senior Spacecraft Mechanical Engineer I Pipeline
Rocket Lab • Long Beach, CA • 21 days ago
Found this role interesting?
