Spaceflight company Orbex is to recruit an additional 50 staff members in the next six months with the majority in its Moray headquarters as the company nears the final push for the first vertical rocket launch from UK soil.
The company estimates 40 of the new jobs would be based at its headquarters in Forres, Moray. with many of the roles supporting integrated testing of the complete rocket at the Orbex LP1 launch platform test facility at nearby Kinloss.
The new positions will strengthen existing teams responsible for areas of rocket development including propulsion, structures, avionics, CNC machining and embedded software.
Other recruitment areas will facilitate communications between ground staff and the rocket in flight, covering fields such as GNC (guidance, navigation & control) systems, sensors, data capture, ground segment software and radio engineering.
Fifteen of the new roles will be non-technical positions, offering a range of opportunities to train or re-skill for a career in the UK and European space sector. These positions require no past experience of the space or aerospace industry and cover areas such as logistics, finance and procurement.
Space Hub Sutherland aiming to become carbon-neutral
Orbex recently revealed the full rocket in its final form and says this is the first full orbital micro-launcher to be unveiled in Europe.
The Orbex Prime will be the first orbital rocket to be powered by a renewable bio-fuel, bio-propane, with the rocket due to shoot 5o miles high from Space Hub Sutherland in Melness possibly in the first half of next year.
Prime is a micro-launcher rocket designed to transport small satellites weighing around 150kg to low earth orbit.
The company’s home of Space Hub Sutherland aims to become the world’s first carbon-neutral spaceport.
Shetland and Sutherland are also jockeying to be ready for rocket launches with SaxaVord UK Spaceport based at the former RAF base on Unst recently inking a third rocket company deal following an agreement with Astra Space.
The move comes hot on the heels of tie-ups between the Shetland site on the Lamba Ness peninsula with US-based ABL Space Systems and Scottish rocket company Skyrora for launches.
Final countdown to launch
Orbex CEO Chris Larmour said: “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 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.”
Orbex has its headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, while design and testing facilities are in Denmark. Staff have backgrounds with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), Ariane and several commercial spaceflight organisations.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise director of strategic projects David Oxley added: “The Scottish space sector is on course for serious growth over the next few years and the economic benefits for our region will be significant.
That vision would have seemed far-fetched just a few years ago”
— HIE director of strategic projects David Oxley
“We are fast approaching a time when Scottish-made satellites will be sent into low earth orbit from Scottish spaceports, using rockets designed and manufactured in Scotland.
“That vision would have seemed far-fetched just a few years ago, and Orbex is playing a major role in making it a reality.”
Scottish Government employment minister Richard Lochhead noted: “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.”
Orbex is now financed by venture capital funds, BGF and Octopus Ventures.
These join two of Europe’s largest venture capital funds, Heartcore Capital and the High-Tech Gründerfonds, as well as investor Elecnor, parent company of Deimos Space, the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme.
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