Thermal Engineer (m/f/d) in Karlsruhe

ATMOS Space Cargo is seeking a Thermal Engineer (m/f/d) to support the thermal design, analysis, and verification of our re-entry and return vehicle technologies. In this role, you will work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to ensure our spacecraft hardware performs reliably across mission phases, from launch and orbit operations to re-entry and landing.

• You will develop and maintain thermal models for spacecraft level thermal architecture, including active and passive thermal control design for avionic components and payloads.
• You will perform thermal modeling across mission phases, including launch, orbit operations, de-orbit, re-entry, landing, and ground handling.
• You will design, analyze, and integrate pumped fluid loops to manage heat collection and rejection for spacecraft survival in extreme orbital environments.
• You will select and optimize COTS fans to maximize forced‑air cooling efficiency while minimizing acoustic signatures and meeting outgassing standards for microgravity locker environments.
• You will perform transient thermal analysis of spacecraft thrusters, including heat soak‑back assessment, propulsion thermal modelling, and cross‑functional coordination with propulsion, mechanical, and systems engineering teams.
• You will define and manage flight hardware interfaces during integration, including pipes, fittings, valves, MLI, heaters, sensors, harness routing, thermal fillers and related components.
• You will design and plan thermal test campaigns, including Active Thermal Control System (ACTS), TVAC, thermal balance and thermal cycling, at system and sub‑system level.
• You will work closely with mechanical, systems, avionics, and AIT teams to ensure technical alignment across subsystems and interfaces.
• You will prepare and maintain thermal engineering documentation, including analysis reports, test procedures, verification plans and review inputs.

Requirements

• Masters Degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Thermal Engineering, Physics or a related technical field.
• At least 3 years of professional experience in thermal control systems for complex spacecraft or environmental testing for aerospace, space systems or similar complex engineering systems.
• Good knowledge of Orbital Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Fluid Dynamics.
• Good understanding of heat transfer principles, including conduction, convection, radiation and transient thermal behaviour.
• Experience with thermal modelling or simulation tools such as Simcenter 3D, TaiTherm, SimLab Thermal, Simulink, Matlab, Altair Flow Simulator.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with spacecraft, satellites, re‑entry vehicles, thermal protection systems or high‑temperature environments.
• Experience supporting thermal tests, TVAC campaigns or hardware validation activities.
• Knowledge of ECSS standards, aerospace verification practices, Python, MATLAB or similar analysis tools.

Company description

ATMOSwas founded as a European company built on the values of freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. We are committed to protect these values by making our technology available to others who share the same values, strengthening infrastructure and innovation for prosperity on Earth. Our team is multinational and diverse, with offices in Lichtenau and Strasbourg. We work in a collegial, hands‑on culture where people support each other, take ownership and keep learning every day. Motivation for the mission comes first — building spacecraft is not a nine‑to‑five pursuit. We align the mission, the team and the individual in mutual dependence. This principle shapes our work environment where exceptional people, as committed as they are competent, can grow and contribute to a mission that matters.

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