Scottish launch startup Orbex has announced that it plans to add 50 new staff to its ranks over the next six months.
Orbex is developing its 19-meter two-stage Prime vehicle, which can lift 150 kg payloads to orbit. The company unveiled the first full-scale prototype of the vehicle in May, which is currently being used for integrated testing.
The new recruitment drive is designed to strengthen existing teams working on key areas of the new vehicle, including propulsion, structures, avionics, CNC machining, and embedded software. Although it’s the company’s largest to date, this latest recruitment drive continues a trend of bold growth from the launch startup as it prepares to debut Prime in 2023.
“We have already tripled the size of our team over the last twelve months. And now, the roles we’re recruiting for are the clearest demonstration that we’re in the final countdown to launch from UK soil. There’s no better time to join Orbex,” explained CEO Chris Larmour.
Time for a career change?
In addition to the technical roles, fifteen of the new roles will be for non-technical positions. According to Orbex, the company hopes to offer “a wide range of people new opportunities to train or re-skill for a career in the UK and European Space sector.”
These positions will require no previous experience in the space or aerospace industry and will cover areas such as logistics, finance, and procurement.
“Orbex’s latest recruitment drive, which offers technical and non-technical jobs in Moray and the surrounding areas, is a great example of how the UK’s launch industry is already helping to bring new jobs and economic benefits to communities and organizations right across the UK,” Director of Commercial Spaceflight at the UK Space Agency Matt Archer told Payload.
According to Archer, the UK space sector currently employs 47,000 people across a diverse range of positions.
