Companies — Space Career Hub

Who's Hiring

The companiesbuilding space

From household names to startups you've never heard of — these are the organizations actively hiring right now, from massive to scrappy.

The Big Players Household names with thousands of open roles
SX
🔥 Actively Hiring
SpaceX
Launch · Satellites · Deep Space

The most dominant force in commercial launch — 165 missions in 2025 alone. Also runs Starlink, the world's largest satellite constellation with 6,000+ satellites. Building Starship to get humans to Mars. If you want to work on the biggest rockets and boldest missions, this is the front door.

Size
13,000+ employees
HQ
Hawthorne, CA
Also hiring in
Texas · Florida · WA
Non-engineer roles
Finance, Legal, HR, Ops
Software Engineer Propulsion Engineer Technician Manufacturing Counsel
NASA
Hiring Now
NASA
Government · Science · Human Spaceflight

America's civilian space agency employs over 17,000 people across 10 centers nationwide. Science, engineering, policy, communications, IT, finance — the variety here is unmatched. Also offers one of the most accessible internship pipelines in the industry through NASA Pathways.

Size
17,000+ employees
Locations
10 centers nationwide
Entry point
NASA Pathways Internship
Clearance needed
Varies by role
Scientist IT Specialist Communications Engineer Finance
LM
Hiring Now
Lockheed Martin
Defense · Satellites · Deep Space

One of the largest defense contractors on earth, with a huge space division. Builds GPS satellites, the Orion spacecraft for NASA, and national security payloads. Great for stable, long-term careers with benefits — many roles don't require engineering degrees.

Size
116,000+ employees
HQ
Bethesda, MD
Clearance
Often sponsored
Non-engineer roles
Supply Chain, Finance, HR
Systems Engineer Program Manager Supply Chain Technician
NG
Hiring Now
Northrop Grumman
Defense · Launch · Satellites

Nearly 100,000 employees and a massive space division that built the James Webb Space Telescope. Also makes the Antares rocket and a range of defense satellites. Known for strong career development programs and a culture that supports long tenure.

Size
~95,000 employees
HQ
Falls Church, VA
Notable project
James Webb Telescope
Clearance
Often required
Aerospace Engineer Mission Analyst Cybersecurity Contracts
BA
Hiring Now
Boeing
Launch · Defense · Space Systems

A giant of aerospace with a dedicated space division that works on the Space Launch System, Starliner crew vehicle, and satellite systems. Thousands of open roles at any given time, in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and business functions.

Size
150,000+ employees
HQ
Arlington, VA
Space division
Boeing Space
Non-engineer roles
Yes — many
Manufacturing Engineer Quality Inspector Program Manager Finance
BO
Scaling Up
Blue Origin
Launch · Lunar · Space Stations

Jeff Bezos's rocket company just flew New Glenn for the first time in early 2025 and is ramping toward commercial operations. Also building the Blue Moon lunar lander for NASA Artemis and partnering on the Orbital Reef commercial space station. Hiring aggressively as it scales.

Size
10,000+ employees
HQ
Kent, WA
Notable milestone
New Glenn maiden flight 2025
Valuation
Est. $30B+
Propulsion Engineer Avionics Operations HR & People
Mid-Size & Fast-Growing Established names with real momentum — and room to grow with them
RL
🔥 Actively Hiring
Rocket Lab
Launch · Spacecraft · Components

The #2 launch company in the U.S. — 21 launches in 2025 with a perfect success rate. Also builds satellites and spacecraft components for other companies. One of the best places to get broad space experience early in your career.

Size
~2,000 employees
HQ
Long Beach, CA
Engineer Technician Business Dev Finance
PL
Hiring Now
Planet Labs
Earth Observation · Data & Analytics

Operates one of the world's largest fleets of Earth-imaging satellites. Clients include governments, farmers, climate researchers, and defense agencies. Heavy on data science, analytics, and customer success — great for non-engineers interested in impact-driven work.

Size
~700 employees
HQ
San Francisco, CA
Data Scientist GIS Analyst Account Manager Marketing
AX
Scaling Up
Axiom Space
Space Stations · Commercial Crew

Building the world's first commercial space station — modules launch to ISS before going independent. Has run 3 successful private astronaut missions. Also developing NASA's next-gen Moon spacesuits. One of the most exciting companies to watch (and work at) right now.

Size
~500 employees
HQ
Houston, TX
Systems Engineer Flight Ops Business Dev Communications
FA
Hiring Now
Firefly Aerospace
Launch · Lunar Missions

Went public in August 2025 and made history by landing a spacecraft on the Moon. Building Alpha rockets for commercial launch and Blue Ghost landers for NASA lunar missions. A smaller team than SpaceX, which means broader responsibility for each person hired.

Size
~700 employees
HQ
Cedar Park, TX
Launch Engineer Avionics Manufacturing Quality
IM
Scaling Up
Intuitive Machines
Lunar · Navigation · Infrastructure

Made the first U.S. Moon landing in 50 years in February 2024. NASA just awarded them a $180M contract for future lunar South Pole missions. Also building lunar terrain vehicles and communications networks for sustained Moon exploration.

Size
~300 employees
HQ
Houston, TX
Flight Dynamics Guidance & Control Contracts Finance
RS
Hiring Now
Relativity Space
Launch · 3D Printing · Manufacturing

Building rockets that are 85% 3D-printed, which makes them radically simpler to manufacture. Their Terran R rocket has customer interest from major satellite operators. A fascinating company for anyone interested in manufacturing innovation as much as space itself.

Size
~400 employees
HQ
Long Beach, CA
Additive Mfg Software Robotics Operations
💡

Don't overlook the suppliers

For every SpaceX or NASA, there are hundreds of companies supplying the parts, software, sensors, and services that make space work. These suppliers — like Moog, Kaman Aerospace, Teledyne, and thousands of smaller shops — are often easier to break into, pay competitively, and offer direct hands-on experience with space hardware. Check the Industries page to explore those sectors.

Startups to Watch Well-funded, fast-moving, and hiring — get in early
STK
⭐ Watch List
Stoke Space
Launch · Reusable Rockets

Just raised $860M in 2026 to build Nova, a fully reusable medium-lift rocket. Backed by the biggest investors in the space economy and seen as the most credible challenger to Falcon 9.

APEX
⭐ Watch List
Apex Space
Satellites · Spacecraft Buses

Backed by Andreessen Horowitz with $200M raised in 2025. Manufactures satellite buses — the chassis that other companies build their satellites on top of. A backbone company in the new space economy.

VRD
⭐ Watch List
Varda Space
In-Space Manufacturing

The first company to actually manufacture things in orbit and return them to Earth — pharmaceuticals and fiber optics that can only be made in microgravity. Raised $187M in 2025. Genuinely new territory.

AST
Scaling Up
Astranis
Satellites · Internet

Building small, dedicated geostationary satellites to bring broadband internet to underserved regions. Each satellite serves one customer — a radically different model than Starlink.

LEO
Hiring Now
LeoLabs
Space Situational Awareness

Tracks tens of thousands of objects in low-Earth orbit to prevent satellite collisions. As space gets more crowded, what LeoLabs does becomes more important — and more commercial.

SS
Scaling Up
Sierra Space
Space Stations · Dream Chaser

Building Dream Chaser — a winged cargo spacecraft — and the LIFE habitat for the Orbital Reef commercial space station with Blue Origin. An alternative vision of what post-ISS space infrastructure looks like.