Senior Thermal Engineer, Lunar

Vast · Long Beach, California, United States

Posted Nov 3, 2026 · full time

Est. total comp~$199K–$304K

Apply on Vast's site ↗

From the posting

Vast is developing next-generation space stations and space infrastructure using an incremental, hardware-rich, and low-cost approach. Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station to ensure a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches in 2027, followed by additional Haven modules. Additionally, the company recently announced Vast Satellite , a high-power satellite product line leveraging its space station components and the heritage of Haven Demo.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California , and with more than 1,000 employees and over a billion dollars in private capital, Vast has built the facilities required to manufacture and operate America’s next space station. The company plans to develop future habitats and systems for the Moon and Mars, dedicated space stations for government partners, and other crewed systems that will unlock the expanding long-term space economy. …

Excerpt from Vast's public job board. Read the full posting.

Job inventory

Required 3 items

Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics or a related field

Experience: 6+ years of experience in spacecraft or aerospace thermal engineering

Skills and tools: Thermodynamics

Preferred none listed in the text we have

Also in the posting: on-site; work evenings and/or weekends; travel up to 5%

Get ready for this role

Crew department: Life Support

Skills this kind of role usually asks for:

Thermal systems
Customer-facing work
Thermal and fluid systems
Sensors and controls
Reliability and redundancy

Train for it: the Life Support Track: HVAC, Cooling, Water and Power. 4 short modules, a quiz after each one and a final test. Pass it and you get the Mars Mining Certificate in Life Support Fundamentals, with its own public page you can link from your resume.

Join the crew and train for this role About Life Support

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I can do Thermal systems on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Customer-facing work on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Thermal and fluid systems on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Sensors and controls on the job, or have used it in a class or project I can do Reliability and redundancy on the job, or have used it in a class or project I have a project or work sample I could show an interviewer My resume is tailored to this kind of role I've practiced answering interview questions for this kind of job

Free. The department comes from the job title and can be off. A Mars Mining certificate shows you studied and passed our test; it isn't a license or academic credit.

About this listing. Pulled automatically from Vast's public job board and refreshed daily; closed roles are removed. Mars Mining Co. is not the employer, does not take applications and does not screen candidates. Field and level labels come from the job title and can be wrong.

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