The Exploration Company — a next-generation space transportation startup developing Nyx, a modular, reusable orbital vehicle and lunar lander system — is seeking a Lunar Lander Test Bench Development Engineer to lead the design, development, and deployment of a dedicated remote propulsion test site in the United Arab Emirates. This is a ground-floor, end-to-end role combining propulsion test infrastructure design, cryogenic fluid systems engineering (LOX, LCH4, Helium, Nitrogen), civil infrastructure coordination, HAZOP safety analysis, and full project leadership — from concept to operational hot-fire testing and hopper flight demonstrations. If you are a propulsion or test bench engineer ready to build a space test facility in the UAE, this is one of the most extraordinary roles available in aerospace in 2026.
About The Exploration Company — Democratising Space Access
Mission: Develop, produce, and operate Nyx — a modular, reusable orbital cargo vehicle and lunar lander
Programme: Next-generation space transportation including lunar lander capable of precision and reusable landing
UAE Test Site: Establishing dedicated remote test site in UAE for hot-fire propulsion and hopper flight testing
Culture: Agile, open, and collaborative — transparent about risks, fast on decisions, passionate about space
Relocation: Relocation assistance + visa sponsorship provided where applicable; equal opportunity employer
Propellant & Pressurisation Systems — Full Cryogenic Scope
LOX: Liquid Oxygen — cryogenic oxidiser storage, transfer, and propellant loading systems
LCH4: Liquid Methane — cryogenic fuel handling, storage, and distribution infrastructure
Helium: High-pressure pressurant systems — storage vessels, regulators, and distribution lines
Nitrogen: Pressurisation and purging systems — inerting, purge, and pneumatic support
P&IDs: Full P&ID development for test facility and all associated ground support equipment
Position Overview
The Lunar Lander Test Bench Development Engineer at The Exploration Company is a rare and genuinely exceptional aerospace engineering role. You will lead the complete lifecycle of a brand-new remote propulsion test facility in the United Arab Emirates — from initial system requirements definition and facility design through to component procurement, installation, commissioning, and operational readiness for hot-fire engine testing and hopper flight demonstrations supporting the company’s lunar lander programme.
This role spans multiple engineering disciplines simultaneously — propulsion test infrastructure, cryogenic fluid systems, civil and structural coordination, automation and safety-critical control systems, and multidisciplinary project leadership. You will not be working within an established facility improving existing infrastructure. You will be building something new, from the ground up, in a remote UAE environment, with the full backing of a well-funded European space startup at one of the most exciting phases of its development. For a propulsion test engineer who wants maximum ownership, maximum impact, and maximum mission significance, this is the role.
Why This Role Matters: Lunar landers do not reach the Moon without first being tested on Earth — and test bench engineers are the professionals who make those tests possible. As the Lunar Lander Test Bench Development Engineer at The Exploration Company, you are not supporting a mission. You are building the infrastructure that determines whether the mission can even be validated safely and reliably before launch. Every P&ID you develop, every cryogenic system you design, and every safety architecture you implement is a direct investment in humanity’s return to the Moon — built in the UAE, by you, from scratch.
Key Responsibilities
Test Site Development & System Requirements
- Define and synthesise system-level requirements for the remote lunar lander test site — establishing the technical foundation for a facility that will support both hot-fire propulsion testing and hopper flight demonstrations in the UAE, from first principles through to operational specification
- Lead the design and implementation of the complete test facility — including all ground infrastructure, utilities, propellant systems, pressurisation infrastructure, power generation, and logistical support required to operate a fully autonomous remote aerospace test site
- Specify and implement propellant and pressurisation systems including Liquid Oxygen, Liquid Methane, Helium, and Nitrogen — covering storage vessel sizing, transfer system design, loading and unloading procedures, and all safety-critical interfaces with the vehicle under test
- Design infrastructure enabling autonomous operation of a remote test site — including power generation and storage, communications, logistical access, safety perimeter systems, and operational support facilities that allow the site to function reliably with minimal on-site personnel
Cryogenic & High-Pressure Fluid Systems Engineering
- Develop complete P&IDs (Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams) for propulsion test facilities and all associated ground support equipment — producing accurate, safety-reviewed, and operationally sound documentation that serves as the technical baseline for facility construction and commissioning
- Design, size, and select all components for cryogenic and high-pressure fluid systems — including valves, regulators, sensors, flex lines, storage vessels, vaporisers, heat exchangers, and instrumentation for LOX, LCH4, Helium, and Nitrogen handling at test-facility scale
- Ensure safe handling, storage, and distribution of cryogenic propellants and pressurants throughout all phases of test site operation — implementing industry best practices for cryogenic fluid safety, personnel protection, hardware integrity, and environmental protection
- Apply strong expertise in thermodynamic and fluid dynamic analysis to validate system performance, identify two-phase flow risks, size pressure relief systems, and ensure all cryogenic fluid subsystems operate safely across the full range of test conditions
Civil Infrastructure & Facility Coordination
- Define facility layout, foundations, structural interfaces, and site infrastructure requirements — establishing the physical configuration of the test site to safely accommodate the lunar lander vehicle, propellant storage, test stand structures, and support buildings within the UAE test location
- Coordinate with civil engineering partners to implement test stands, safety perimeters, blast protection, drainage, and support building infrastructure — managing technical interfaces between aerospace system requirements and civil construction execution
- Define and implement all site safety and separation distances — applying explosive quantity-distance (QD) standards and propellant safety regulations to ensure the test site layout meets all applicable safety requirements for personnel, hardware, and the surrounding environment
Safety, Automation & Test Operations
- Define and implement automation architectures for test operations and facility control — including safe vehicle-to-ground interfaces, automated propellant loading sequences, abort logic, and remotely operated control systems that enable safe test execution with appropriate operational oversight
- Perform comprehensive hazard analyses including FMEA, HAZOP, and quantitative risk assessments — systematically identifying failure modes, evaluating risk severity, and implementing robust mitigation measures across all safety-critical systems on the test site
- Develop test procedures, operational concepts, and commissioning plans — producing the full operational documentation required to safely commission the facility, train operational personnel, and execute the test campaign programme
- Develop and validate safety-critical systems protecting personnel, hardware, and the environment — including emergency shutdown systems, fire detection and suppression, toxic/cryogenic gas detection, and personnel exclusion zone management during test operations
Project Leadership & Stakeholder Management
- Lead end-to-end development of the test facility — managing design, procurement, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and operations readiness across a multidisciplinary engineering project with internal and external stakeholders in a remote UAE environment
- Manage technical interfaces with internal engineering teams, customers, and external suppliers — coordinating across propulsion, structures, avionics, software, and operations functions to ensure the test facility integrates cleanly with the lunar lander vehicle and test programme requirements
- Perform trade-off analyses to optimise performance, safety, cost, and schedule — making well-reasoned engineering decisions under resource constraints with appropriate documentation of trade rationale and stakeholder alignment
- Support on-site deployment, integration, and test campaigns in the UAE — travelling periodically to the UAE test site during development, commissioning, and operations phases to provide hands-on engineering leadership and technical problem-solving
Requirements & Qualifications
Experience Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in propulsion test facilities or hot-fire test bench development — with demonstrable end-to-end involvement in designing, commissioning, or operating propulsion test infrastructure for aerospace or industrial applications
- Strong expertise in fluid systems engineering, including cryogenic propellants — specifically with liquid oxygen, liquid methane, or equivalent cryogenic propellant handling systems at test facility or launch site scale
- Experience designing or operating ground support equipment (GSE) for rocket propulsion systems — with direct knowledge of the technical requirements, operational procedures, and safety standards applicable to aerospace propulsion test infrastructure
Technical Skills
- Knowledge of automation systems and safety-critical control architectures for industrial or test environments — including PLC-based control systems, automated sequencing, and emergency shutdown system design for hazardous propellant environments
- Experience coordinating infrastructure or facility development in industrial or remote environments — comfortable managing civil, structural, and utilities interfaces alongside aerospace system engineering requirements
- Degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, energy systems, or a related field — with a strong academic and practical foundation in propulsion, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and engineering systems design
Personal Attributes
- Demonstrated project management capability across multidisciplinary engineering activities — able to plan, track, and deliver a complex facility development programme on schedule and within budget
- Hands-on engineering mindset with strong problem-solving ability — comfortable getting into technical details, troubleshooting complex system issues, and finding practical engineering solutions in a fast-moving, resource-efficient startup environment
- Willingness to travel to and work periodically in the United Arab Emirates — particularly during the site development, commissioning, and test campaign phases of the programme
Why This Lunar Test Bench Role at The Exploration Company Is Career-Defining in 2026
The global commercial space sector is accelerating at a pace that has no historical precedent — and lunar access, reusable propulsion systems, and in-space logistics are at the absolute frontier of that acceleration. The Exploration Company’s Nyx programme and lunar lander development place it firmly among the most technically ambitious and mission-meaningful organisations in European and global commercial space — and the decision to establish a propulsion test facility in the UAE marks a significant expansion of its hardware validation capability.
For a propulsion test engineer with the cryogenic fluids expertise, facility development experience, and project leadership capability this role demands, joining The Exploration Company at this moment means being the person who builds the infrastructure that validates a lunar lander before it flies. That is not a peripheral engineering contribution — it is a central, founding engineering achievement. Combined with relocation assistance, visa sponsorship, a genuinely collaborative culture, and the irreplaceable meaning of contributing to the democratisation of space, this is the rare career opportunity that engineers in this field spend years waiting for.
Who Should Apply?
- Propulsion Test Facility Engineers: With 5+ years of hot-fire test bench design, commissioning, or operations experience — including cryogenic propellant systems (LOX, LCH4 or equivalent) and P&ID development for aerospace or energy test infrastructure
- Aerospace Ground Systems Engineers: With strong GSE design experience for liquid-propellant rocket engines or stages — comfortable owning the full technical scope of a propulsion ground support system from design through operations
- Cryogenic Fluid Systems Engineers: With deep expertise in liquid oxygen, liquid methane, or comparable cryogenic fluid handling — including storage, transfer, pressurisation, and instrumentation for aerospace test facility applications
- Safety & Automation Engineers in Aerospace / Industrial: With HAZOP, FMEA, and safety-critical control system experience relevant to hazardous propellant environments — able to own the automation architecture and safety validation for a complex remote test facility
- Aerospace Project Leaders Seeking Mission-Defining Roles: Who want to build a space test facility from the ground up in the UAE — contributing directly to The Exploration Company’s lunar lander programme with full end-to-end engineering ownership, in one of the most ambitious and meaningful aerospace engineering roles available anywhere in 2026
Recently Opening Job👇
