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Whatever your background, the space sector needs you!
1,765 Organisations
52,000+ Employees
2nd Leading destination
for private space capital
The space sector grew from the Space Race in the 1950-60s and historically has only been affordable for large governments. However, technological advances in satellite manufacturing and rocket launch in the last few decades have dramatically lowered the barriers to accessing space, enabling commercial companies to support an increasingly diverse range of applications with space-derived data and services.
Today, space supports 16% ¹ of the UK economy and is classed as a critical national infrastructure. With financial transactions, transportation networks and weather monitoring all reliant on satellites, one day without space would cost over £1bn ²!
Earth observation satellites allow us to monitor a variety of changes across our planet, including deforestation and air quality. More than half the measurements we need to make to track climate change can only be made from space ³, and satellite imagery supports sustainable urban planning initiatives, agriculture and more.
Away from Earth, there are spacecraft travelling to distant planets, rovers and helicopters on Mars, and space telescopes being used to understand how the universe and life formed and developed. Astronauts living on space stations do science and technology experiments to prepare for long missions to the Moon and Mars and develop medicines and materials for use on Earth.
Sector overview
Upstream refers to all the work related to putting something into space. This includes designing, manufacturing, and testing spacecraft, rockets, and ground segment equipment, which come from a diverse supply chain across the country.
Midstream relates to operating satellites in orbit and managing the orbital environment to track objects and prevent collisions.
Downstream refers to all the work related to providing products and services from satellites, such as Earth observation data and communications. The majority of space sector revenue and employment is in downstream activities.
There are also other services like regulation, financial, legal, and business support that enable the sector to operate successfully.
Academia in the UK supports the whole range of activities, from developing new satellite technologies and data analytics algorithms to helping policymakers and diplomats.
The space sector has a whole range of roles, no matter your background. We need people to join from the start of their career and people who can bring their skills and experience from other sectors. Many people working in the sector now only discovered it was possible later in their life!
As well as the technical hardware, software and research roles, space companies are like any other company and need people with business, marketing, and management skills. There are also opportunities in education, law, policy, art, journalism and more!
Click the circles to learn more about different roles across the space sector!
Recent technological advancements such as AI and quantum computing are already starting to be integrated into satellites to improve performance and are expected to become more important in the future. As larger quantities and more valuable data are being sent via satellites, space organisations are also looking for people with expertise in cybersecurity.
Reusable satellite technology will also unlock the ability to manufacture materials and pharmaceuticals in the microgravity and vacuum of space, which makes them more pure and therefore more effective. This could include materials for computer chips, drugs for cancer treatment and 3D printing organs for transplant.
With more satellites being launched, the issues of space debris and potential collisions are becoming more prevalent. The UK has recently opened a National Space Operations Centre to track space objects in space and multiple UK companies are developing spacecraft to capture and remove old satellites from orbit. Ideas for servicing spacecraft and orbital fuel depots are also being developed to fix or refuel satellites in orbit rather than having to launch replacements.
There will be many challenges to overcome to provide more and continued benefits to people around the world!
Space activity is closer than you might think. Every region of the UK is home to the headquarters of at least one space company and there are academics at universities across the country doing research for space.
Here are some of the key organisations supporting the sector.
Click here to download this page as a poster and contact us if you would like to request a physical A2 copy for your organisation.
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Check out our Job Profiles to learn about different roles across the space sector and our Careers Stories to hear from the people actually working in the space sector.
See our Advice and Information articles for how you can develop your skills or change careers into the sector.
Visit our Company A-Z page to discover the variety of space activities and what is happening near you.
Head over to our Jobs Board to see the range of roles on offer right now, from internships and graduate roles to senior positions.
Check out the Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2023 for more facts and figures on the space sector.
Take a look at the Space Sector Skills Survey 2023 for more information on what skills are in demand.
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