ispace

Lunar payload transport and data services

Senior Thermal Engineer

Aerospace EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeLuxembourgNo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's or master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related field is required.
Five to eight or more years of experience in spacecraft thermal design, analysis, and testing are required.
Expertise with thermal analysis tools, including Thermal Desktop or ESATAN, and proficiency in 0D/1D thermal network modeling are required.
A strong understanding of active and passive thermal control systems for spacecraft and surface vehicles is required.
Hands-on experience with space-relevant thermal testing, including thermal vacuum testing and correlation activities, is required.
The candidate must be able to lead thermal design efforts within multidisciplinary project teams.
Excellent communication and documentation skills in English are required.
The candidate must be proactive, adaptable, and comfortable driving progress in a fast-paced, high-stakes engineering environment.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, and verification of spacecraft thermal control systems, including radiators, heaters, multilayer insulation, coatings, and thermal straps.
Develop, maintain, and review detailed thermal models using tools such as Thermal Desktop and ESATAN.
Define and execute thermal analyses across mission phases—launch, cruise, lunar orbit, and surface operations—and correlate analytical models with test results.
Plan and oversee component- and system-level thermal vacuum testing, including defining test setups, analyzing data, and reporting results.
Work with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering teams to integrate thermal requirements and constraints into the overall spacecraft design.
Prepare and review technical documentation, including analysis reports, thermal verification plans, and interface control documentation.
Identify thermal risks early in the lifecycle, propose mitigation strategies, and drive design trade studies to closure.
Contribute to design reviews, technical decision-making, and continuous improvement initiatives across missions.

Desired Qualifications

Thermal Desktop is preferred; ESATAN is an acceptable alternative.

Join Our Mission to the Moon

Join ispace EUROPE – Pioneering Lunar Exploration from Luxembourg

With locations in Japan, Luxembourg, and the US, ispace is a global leader in lunar exploration. Our European branch, based in Luxembourg, is uniquely positioned at the heart of rover design, development, and operations.

We’re building the foundations of a sustainable lunar economy — and expanding humanity’s reach beyond Earth.

At ispace EU, engineers, business experts, and creatives work side by side to turn bold ideas into reality, driven by our mission: “Expand our Planet, Expand our Future.”

TITLE: Senior Thermal Engineer

LOCATION: Luxembourg

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Senior Thermal Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring our spacecraft systems can thrive in the harsh conditions of space. You will design, analyze, and verify thermal control solutions that keep critical hardware within safe operating limits during every mission phase. Based in Luxembourg, this role works closely with cross-disciplinary teams in mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering, directly contributing to ispace’s vision of enabling sustainable lunar exploration. Your expertise will help transform innovative rover designs into reliable spaceflight hardware that can survive and succeed on the Moon.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the design, development, and verification of spacecraft thermal control systems, including radiators, heaters, MLI, coatings, and thermal straps.

Develop, maintain, and review detailed thermal models using industry-standard tools (e.g., Thermal Desktop, ESATAN).

Define and execute thermal analyses across mission phases—launch, cruise, lunar orbit, and surface operations—and correlate analytical models with test results.

Plan and oversee component- and system-level thermal vacuum testing (TVAC), including test setup definition, data analysis, and reporting.

Work closely with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering teams to integrate thermal requirements and constraints into overall spacecraft design.

Prepare and review high-quality technical documentation, including analysis reports, thermal verification plans, and interface control documentation.

Identify thermal risks early in the lifecycle, propose mitigation strategies, and drive design trade studies to closure.

Contribute to design reviews, technical decision-making, and continuous improvement initiatives across missions.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.

5–8+ years of experience in spacecraft thermal design, analysis, and testing.

Proven expertise with thermal analysis tools (Thermal Desktop preferred, ESATAN acceptable) and proficiency in 0D/1D thermal network modeling.

Strong understanding of both active and passive thermal control systems for spacecraft and surface vehicles.

Hands-on experience with space-relevant thermal testing, including TVAC and correlation activities.

Demonstrated ability to lead thermal design efforts within multidisciplinary project teams.

Excellent communication and documentation skills in English.

Proactive, adaptable, and comfortable driving progress in a fast-paced, high-stakes engineering environment.

Why Join ispace EUROPE?

At ispace EU, we’re not just building lunar rovers — we’re shaping the future of space exploration from our base in Luxembourg. As part of a global team spanning Japan, the US, and Europe, we’re on a mission to create a sustainable lunar economy and expand humanity’s reach beyond Earth.

Join a diverse, fast-moving team where engineers, creatives, and business minds work side by side to turn bold ideas into reality. If you're ready to make history — and have fun doing it — we’d love to hear from you.

Let’s go to the Moon together.

Learn more about our recent activities here: https://ispace-inc.com/news-en.

We welcome candidates with diverse experience levels and evaluate the best fit on an individual basis. Your final job level and salary will be determined based on your skills, experience, and the impact you can bring to the role.

#LI-AD1

About the Company

ispace

Lunar payload transport and data services

ispace develops lunar exploration and resource development, offering two main services: Payload Services, which transports customer payloads to lunar orbit or the surface using its robotic landers and rovers, and Data Services, which collects and provides lunar data for mission planning and surface development. It differentiates itself by owning its own lunar hardware, using agile development with commercially off-the-shelf components to cut costs, and pursuing a cadence of Hakuto-R missions to establish a regular cislunar transport system, while partnering with NASA under CLPS and with ESA. Its goal is to enable a growing lunar economy by delivering reliable, affordable access to the Moon for scientists, governments, and industry and by advancing the utilization of lunar resources such as water ice.

Company size: 201-500
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Founded: 2010

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