Role: TPS Lead Engineer

Shield the vehicle. Survive the inferno. Bring them home. Define the boundary between survival and destruction.

Mission Overview

At Vortex Aerospace, you will lead the design and qualification of the Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) that allow our vehicles to survive the searing heat of hypersonic reentry.

You are the barrier between a fragile payload and the destructive plasma of the atmosphere. Your work ensures reusability isn't just a concept, but a flight-proven reality.

Operational Objectives

Architect advanced TPS solutions (ablative & reusable tiles) for Orbiton-1 launch and reentry environments.

Analyze aero-thermal loads and define thermal margins using CFD/Thermal solvers (ANSYS, Fluent, Star-CCM+).

Lead arc-jet testing campaigns and material qualification for flight certification.

Collaborate with structural teams to integrate TPS with the primary carbon-composite airframe and metallic cryo-tanks.

Develop rapid inspection and refurbishment protocols for 24-hour vehicle turnaround.

Mission Prerequisites

5+ years of experience in aerospace thermal engineering or related R&D.

Deep expertise in high-temperature composites (C-C, C-SiC), ceramics, and ablative materials.

Strong background in heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation), thermodynamics, and material science.

Experience with reentry physics or hypersonic aerothermodynamics is highly valued.

Proficiency in thermal analysis tools (Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, or equivalent).

— Deployment Benefits —

Technical Authority

Full ownership of the vehicle's thermal shield.

Reusability Standards

Define next-gen orbital class vehicle protection.

Leadership

Lead a dedicated team of materials engineers.

Testing Access

Direct access to high-enthalpy test facilities.

Position Intelligence

Department

Structures & Materials

Location

Bengaluru, India

Openings

1 Position Available

Domain

Thermodynamics

Environment

Hypersonic Reentry

Priority: High

Mission Parameters

Hardware First

Work on real propulsion hardware, not just slide decks or concept art.

Elite Team

Small, highly technical unit with direct ownership of critical systems.

High Impact

Your decisions materially shape the vehicle architecture and company trajectory.

No Hype

Focused purely on physics, testing, and execution. We build, we launch.

Candidate Application

Applying for: Thermal Protection Systems Lead