The space industry is entering a new era. No longer defined solely by national agencies and defense contractors, it now includes a fast-growing field of private innovators, venture-backed startups and visionary founders. In 2024 alone, startups in the sector brought in $8.6 billion in funding — a clear sign that investors are putting serious money behind commercial space companies and the people building them.
But there’s a gap between potential and reality. Without a steady pipeline of talent, even the most well-funded or well-engineered ideas risk stalling. Building the next generation of the space workforce is now mission-critical.
Space is scaling fast – but is your team?
Demand for skilled professionals in space is growing rapidly. The United States commercial space workforce expanded for the seventh year in a row in 2023, and the Space Report for 2024 Q4, published by Space Foundation, confirms a record number of global launch attempts for the fourth year in a row. Meanwhile, Europe’s private sector space employment has grown 66% over the last decade, and India recently approved a $119 million fund to support its space startups. No matter where you look, space is accelerating.
Companies can’t afford to wait for perfect-fit candidates to knock on their doors — the industry is growing too fast and becoming too competitive. Leaders need to think strategically and creatively about workforce development. The companies that figure this out early will define the next decade of innovation.
Build a workforce beyond engineers
The future of space isn’t just engineers and astronauts. It’s welders, policy experts, systems integrators, AI specialists, project managers and 3D printing technicians. It’s also professionals with experience building partnerships — people who understand how to align stakeholders, navigate public-private collaboration and scale through strategic alliances. These skillsets are increasingly important as companies look to share infrastructure, accelerate timelines and reduce risk through collaboration.
Companies must design a hiring strategy that is built around interdisciplinary teams from the start.
That includes identifying areas where talent is already available and training where needed. For example, a technician with precision manufacturing experience may not yet be familiar with aerospace materials, but they can be upskilled quickly to meet demand. A data scientist who worked in logistics or defense may bring insights directly applicable to satellite operations or trajectory optimization. And someone who has led ecosystem partnerships in telecom or defense may be well-positioned to manage collaborative projects across launch providers, satellite operators or government agencies.
Many of these individuals can be found in adjacent sectors like aerospace contracting, enterprise software, telecom or defense technology — fields where coordinating across organizations is part of the job.
Hiring from these industries offers a practical path to filling critical roles with adaptable, mission-ready talent.
Smart leaders are asking the right questions — not only who to hire, but how to close the gap between what they need and what the talent market currently offers. Instead of relying on one-size-fits-all job requirements, companies should define what’s critical to their mission and support new hires with training, mentorship or internal development programs.
Of course, that’s easier said than done, especially for earlier-stage companies that don’t have the resources to invest heavily in onboarding or internal development. These teams often need someone who can hit the ground running in a role. In these cases, a more prescriptive hiring strategy can make a big difference.
For example, if a founder is struggling to hire for a critical role, taking the time to define realistic requirements and align early with stakeholders can make the process far more manageable and lead to stronger hiring outcomes.
Connect with passive talent
The best candidates aren’t scrolling job boards. They’re already employed. But many are quietly looking for something more meaningful. They may be in industries that have plateaued or feel oversaturated, like cybersecurity or enterprise tech. What they’re really seeking isn’t just a new job. It’s a new mission.
In a recent Indeed survey of professionals who resigned from at least two jobs since 2020, 92% said the pandemic made them feel life is too short to stay in a role they weren’t passionate about. That’s not a fluke; it’s a shift in mindset.
Space companies that want to compete for top talent need to meet this moment. It’s not enough to post job descriptions. You have to tell a compelling story — one that clearly explains how your company stands out from the rest, why it’s positioned to succeed and how new team members can play a meaningful role in shaping that future.
That kind of emotional connection is what turns passive candidates into purpose-driven employees. The key is understanding what’s driving their dissatisfaction — whether it’s lack of upward mobility, burnout or unclear missions — and speaking directly to those concerns. Recruiters who specialize in the space economy are uniquely positioned to surface these patterns and help companies craft job narratives that attract top talent and support long-term retention.
And while messaging matters, so does access. Creating career pathways through internships, rotational programs and apprenticeships, like NASA’s Pathways Program or new industry-led certifications, can make space roles more approachable for curious, capable professionals ready to take on something new.
Plan for the long haul
Unlike SaaS or consumer tech, the space economy isn’t built to scale overnight. Product cycles are longer, capital is harder to deploy quickly and the regulatory environment brings added complexity.
That slower timeline can also be a strategic advantage. It gives companies the breathing room to invest — not just in hiring, but in the infrastructure of their teams. That includes building cultures where people grow with the business, where knowledge is transferred across phases and where the same team that prototypes a product can stay to launch and evolve it.
Successful companies don’t scramble to fill roles. They build a workforce that can adapt in lockstep with their growth. Companies that take the time to develop internal career paths, support ongoing learning and retain institutional expertise will have a distinct edge as the industry matures.
Space may not be at the ground floor anymore, but it’s still early. The companies investing in people now are laying the foundation for everything that comes next.
Now is the time to act
The space industry has momentum, funding and energy. What it still lacks is the experienced workforce needed to sustain and scale that growth. This is the moment for bold action.
Leaders who prioritize building a blended, resilient and future-ready workforce now won’t just stay competitive in the near term — they’ll shape the trajectory of the industry for decades to come.
The companies that lead in talent will be the ones that lead in space.
Mark Sasson is managing partner of Pinpoint Search Group, a recruitment agency for the space and cybersecurity sectors.
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