Mechanical Engineer, Thermal Hardware (Starship)
SpaceX · Starbase, TX
About this role
<div class="content-intro"><p>SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.</p></div><p><strong>MECHANICAL ENGINEER, THERMAL HARDWARE (STARSHIP)</strong></p> <p>Starship requires a robust Thermal Protection System (TPS) to withstand the extreme heat generated during atmospheric reentry at hypersonic speeds. The thermal hardware team is responsible for the design, analysis, integration, and continuous improvement of Starship's reentry heat shield and structures
As a mechanical engineer, you will drive the development of the next-generation heat shield from concept and detailed mechanical design to thermal-structural modeling, qualification testing, production, integration, flight rationale, and post-flight data-driven optimizations. At Starbase, you will have the opportunity to work in an exciting and dynamic environment, dividing your time between the office and the production floor to ensure the delivery of the best-engineered product and ultimately mission success.</p> <p><strong>RESPONSIBILITIES:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Develop, test, and qualify new or refined thermal protection system solutions for our Starship architecture</li> <li>Own the outcome and set up the end-to-end solutions to thermal challenges from idea to flying hardware</li> <li>Work with production on resolving issues on the floor and on the vehicle with our flight hardware</li> <li>Analyze and troubleshoot post-flight conditions on vehicle heatshields to drive vehicle changes and improvements</li> <li>Coordinate with analysis, avionics, structures, supply chain, and reliability engineers to drive multidisciplinary projects</li> <li>Work with outside vendors, suppliers, and testing resources to bring in new materials, capabilities, or processes</li> </ul> <p><st
Apply for this role on SpaceX’s official careers site.