Space firm holds recruitment drive in run-up to rocket launch

Fifty jobs to help launch the first vertical rocket from UK soil are up for grabs.

Aerospace firm Orbex is looking to hire the additional staff members over the next six months to support the launch of its Orbex Prime rocket, the first full orbital micro-launcher to be unveiled in Europe.

Many of the new roles will support “integrated testing” of the complete rocket at the Orbex LP1 launch platform test facility at Kinloss, situated a few miles from the company’s headquarters in Forres in Moray, Scotland.

Some of the extra staff will help expand existing teams responsible for the development of the rocket, including propulsion, structures, avionics, and software.

While other new employees will support communications between ground staff and the rocket in flight, covering fields such as GNC (guidance, navigation and control) systems, sensors, data capture, and radio engineering.

Fifteen of the new roles will be non-technical positions and require no past experience of the space or aerospace industry and will cover areas such as logistics, finance and procurement.

Richard Lochhead, Scottish Government Employment Minister, said: “These jobs will bring us a step closer to achieving our ambition of 20,000 jobs in the Scottish space sector by 2030.

“Orbex is bringing high-value jobs to Moray while inspiring the study of science and engineering – which will help create future rocket scientists.”

The Orbex Prime rocket will be the first orbital rocket in the world to be powered by a renewable bio-fuel, bio-propane, the company said.

Is is thought this will lead to 96% less emissions that rockets using fossil fuels.

Its “home” spaceport, Space Hub Sutherland, aims to become the world’s first carbon-neutral spaceport.

Prime is a micro-launcher rocket designed to transport small satellites weighing around 150kg to low Earth orbit.

Chris Larmour, chief executive at Orbex, said the company has already tripled its team behind Prime over the last twelve months, adding: “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 – we have an extremely exciting few years ahead of us and we encourage people to find out more about the roles we have on offer.”