Primary record

Materials Engineer, Thermal Protection (Starship)

SpaceX Indexed employerCape Canaveral, FL · Cape Canaveral, FL, United States
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Workplace

On-site

Employment

Internship

Published

Aug 11, 2026

Closes

No date supplied

The role

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.

MATERIALS ENGINEER, THERMAL PROTECTION (STARSHIP)

This position within the thermal protection system R&D team will develop and optimize low density alumina-silica refractory insulators. You will have the opportunity to utilize your knowledge, experience, and creativity to develop novel solutions in spacecraft reusability. You will work on designing, testing and analyzing materials for the next generation Starship spacecraft, designed to make humanity an interplanetary species. Role will require significant interface with the design & production engineers, providing the opportunity to continuously improve the production design processing as the team works to establish aircraft-like operations on Starship.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and execute experiments, procedures and tests on developmental components.

• Design and develop thermal protection hardware to enable and optimize vehicle’s heatshield on material properties and cost reduction.

• Operate and use ceramic and chemical lab tools and equipment.

• Work with process engineers to develop scalable production solution.

• Collaborate with engineering staff from other departments and highly skilled technicians on a daily basis.

• Manage and track multiple priorities while maintaining a focus on common project goals.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in materials science, mechanical engineering, or other engineering discipline.

• 1+ years of experience in high-temperature ceramic or technical glass (academic projects, internships, a

Requirements

Department: Materials Engineering - Starship/Raptor