How Private Aerospace Companies Are Hiring for the Future

When the master of music, KJ Yesudas, sang the song ‘Chand Akela’, the moon was indeed lonely. Of course, the Americans had already set foot on the moon by then, but it was still not a place that India or any other country had gone too, let alone placed a rover on.

All that changed with the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 in 2023. India had finally set something on the moon, and it was an advanced rover that could map the surface of the moon and relay back images more than a million miles away to Earth. We still haven’t explored the moon completely, but it is a good start.

The Obsession with the New Frontier

And with India sending a vehicle to orbit the sun, it seems like humans have decided not to spare any celestial body without proper investigation! And this is evident not just by the stance that governments have taken, but from the bold space voyage initiatives that capable citizens have taken.

If a government body for aeronautical exploration and research such as NASA put a man in space and then on the moon, today private space aerospace companies like SpaceX in the USA and Dhruva Space are catching up in the race to the heavens. And the future is promising for them, the scientist and cosmologist, and governments and space enthusiasts all over the world.

Growth of the Private Aerospace Industry

In 2020, private space employment in the US saw a resurgence to around 147,953. Space career job options today include space scientists, electrical, aerospace, computer and construction engineers, and geologists in these private companies. In other words, they do go the whole nine yards and may soon eclipse even government initiatives in several advanced countries of the world.

Thanks in small ways to them too, according to McKinsey, the global space Industry was worth around $546 billion in 2022 and is poised to reach $1 trillion by 2030 . The private aerospace company Space X made history by using a reusable rocket to carry astronauts to the Internal Space Station, humanity’s bastion on the space frontier. It was awarded a $2.9 billion contract by NASA to take American astronauts to the moon.

And jobs are incoming too. Tech Entrepreneur and Founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk posted a tweet suggesting that jobseekers relocate to Starbase in Texas, a city he is building just to meet SpaceX’s growing workforce needs! He promised jobs for engineers, technicians, builders and support professionals.

Indian Prepares Itself for the Private Aerospace Revolution

It is not just SpaceX and other private American companies that are running the race without limits; private aerospace companies in India are involved too, many of them gaining much needed attention and momentum after the Chandrayaan-3 launch.

While ISRO has been outsourcing to private companies (around 500 of them on the long list) since 2013, it was only after measures of deregulation in 2020 that the door was thrown open to private space companies in India and the wakeup call came from SpaceX when it gobbled up the market share for commercial launches and became Number 1, overtaking ISRO.

This caught ISRO’s attention, which after much research and experimentation, and with help from leading scientists and institutions in the country, launched Chandrayaan-3 successfully in July 2023 at a budget of only $75 million , far less than that for the movie Interstellar at $165 million. Now India was at the center of the world’s discussion and private space companies in India like Skyroot Aerospace, Bellatrix Aerospace and Dhruva Space started getting the attention of the world. There was as many as 189 space startups in India in 2023, garnering an investment of nearly $125 million . And a pivotal role has been played by the Indian Government itself. Here are five examples of the type of jobs posted by private aerospace companies in India. Of course, the space industry has diverse opportunities which go far beyond these examples; this is for representation only.

Jobs Posted by Private Aerospace Companies in India

Engineer – Mission Design and Simulation

A mission design engineer plans the orbital trajectories of the satellites based on mission parameters such as payload and other operational constraints. They consider the impact of the force of gravity and using simulation determine the satellite performance under various conditions. Simulation and analysis use models to test satellite performance under various conditions, considering even drag and radiation, determining the success of each option. The job requires a PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.

Ground Station Engineer Operation Engineer

The ground station engineer oversees the daily operations of a space station. This includes establishing satellite communication links, optimizing the ground station system for throughput and efficiency, and troubleshooting any technical issues as they arise. They also administer best practices and put security policies in place to protect sensitive data. They respond to emergencies when the mission goes critical.

Geospatial Information Officer

Uses geospatial information, satellite imagery and even open-source intelligence to analyze images from various and arrive at valuable insights. For this they would be familiar with vector data editing. They would also need to know raster data processing. They also develop innovative geospatial products or visuals to convey the results of the analysis. They will also conduct reviews on the geospatial analysis performed by the members in their team or their peers.

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Mechanical Design Engineer

He would be responsible for manufacturing drawings and computer-aided design for building the spacecraft. They should be able to have critical problem-solving skills and make use of advanced analytical tools that will help build spacecraft that can withstand the extreme conditions encountered in the Earth’s atmosphere or in outer space near celestial orbit. They also design space vehicles and must be experts in aerodynamics and control systems as well.

Regulatory Compliance Engineer

When a satellite takes off, it is carrying a payload into orbit, but it leaves behind a lot of debris, dust and smoke. A regulatory compliance engineer ensures that the flora and fauna are not disturbed, and that the level of air and water pollution complies with those prescribed by statutory and regulatory authorities. They also prepare reports that highlight how these aspects of a space launch can be improved in the future.

Outlook

Jobs will continue to grow in both the private as well as government sub sectors of the space industry. Government space agencies will need to give some considerations and government bodies will need to deregulate the space market further so that private companies can get even more support and the required impetus to grow. This will help employees in both these subsectors find job growth and healthy competition.

The government agencies like NASA and ISRO have hundreds of missions under their belt and there is a lot of learning there. Sharing such learning with private aerospace companies will help employees in such companies also learn and grow. Liken space to an empty well with no end; here exploration is key and diverse sets of learning from both government and private aerospace agencies and companies will help move the needle forward.

Did you know that Alp Consulting is hiring for aerospace too??