The need for a qualified and prepared talent pool is becoming one of the commercial space industry’s major challenges. Many jobs in the industry require specialized skills and years of training, and nearly 75% of companies have reported difficulty filling critical positions. Industry organizations, major companies, and government agencies are all taking steps to address this workforce challenge, resulting in 27% industry job growth over the last decade and average salaries that are double that of other private sector careers. But as organizations such as the Space Force still have 25% of their mission critical roles unfilled, it is clear that more needs to be done to build up the modern space workforce.
The need to attract more workers isn’t just about filling new roles as the industry grows. The space workforce is facing a demographic time bomb as a large portion approaches retirement age without enough skilled workers to replace them. Nearly 40% of NASA’s science and engineering workforce are 55 or older. As senior employees depart, institutional knowledge and experience with legacy systems go with them. On the other end, demand from other sectors such as tech, finance, and defense for recent college graduates with strong technical skills has created a competitive labor market. The resulting labor crunch slows down growth and innovation in the space industry.
The interest in space-related careers remains high thanks in large part to inspiring success such as the Artemis II mission, but traditional paths to entry, such as a college degree, require significant time and financial commitment that put it out of reach for many potential workers.
Fortunately, both the private sector and government agencies are developing new pathways for potential workers to gain new skills and enter the space workforce. Organizations such as the Matthew Isakowitz Foundation and the Brooke Owens Fellowship provide opportunities for college students by providing them with scholarships, mentoring, and high-impact internship opportunities. Many of the students who have gone through these programs have gone on to have highly successful careers in the industry. Several alumni have even gone on to become company leaders and startup founders, leading the next generation of innovation in the industry.
Some companies have founded their own career development programs to help current employees learn new skills and find new career paths. Amazon’s Career Choice program has provided more than 300,000 employees with prepaid tuition benefits to help them explore new educational and career opportunities. Several employees have used their benefits to learn skills such as aerospace manufacturing and avionics wiring to find new careers building satellites for Amazon Leo, which aims to provide fast and reliable satellite internet to underserved communities.
Over in the public sector, NASA has launched the NASA Force program in partnership with the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM). This new hiring initiative is designed to channel high-impact technical talent into roles that are critical to NASA’s exploration, research, and advanced technology objectives. The White House is also taking strong action with the recent announcement of the U.S. Space Academy, which will train future generations of astronauts, engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and warfighters. This NASA-led federal academy will provide technical education and leadership training for students who will go on to serve in key roles at NASA, the Space Force, and the commercial space industry.
The need for a skilled and entrepreneurial workforce is growing even more important as international rivals increase their own space capabilities. China, for example, has supercharged its space industry with an 8x increase in annual investment over the past decade. China’s massive, state-sponsored industrial base has quickly caught up to the U.S. thanks to its ability to rapidly scale manufacturing output, retool its workforce, and subsidize expansion. Without action to bolster the labor base for the space industry, the U.S. will likely cede leadership to China and other rapidly developing nations.
There is still a lot of work to be done to develop a robust and thriving space workforce. The talent pipeline starts at an early age, where exposure to inspirational and educational content can help younger generations to see a future for themselves within the space industry. For instance, programs such as coding camps or robotics and rocketry clubs have been proven to be very successful in providing enriching, hands-on learning for students across the country. By developing programs for students at different ages and with different backgrounds, we can help these students find a pathway into the space industry that suits their needs and interests.
As these students graduate from high school and grow into young adults, there should be an abundance of educational and training pathways that they can take to enter the industry. This includes both traditional college degree programs, technical training programs, internship opportunities, and entry-level jobs that all allow for sufficient training and development. Mentorship also plays a critical role at this point in the talent pipeline to both nurture future leaders and to promote talent retention. Workers at all levels can benefit from continued training and development as the industry evolves and changes. Finally, the industry should continue to access their incentive structures for attracting and retaining workers in order to remain competitive in the labor market with other high-demand sectors.
Industry leaders have laid a strong foundation to build up the space workforce with programs like Career Choice and NASA Force. By building on that momentum with additional workforce initiatives such as the U.S. Space Academy, we can drive innovation and economic growth for the space sector, bring high paying jobs to communities around the country, and inspire future generations to find their careers amongst the stars.
Karina Perez is the Director of the Space & Spectrum Policy Center at the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), where she leads policy engagement on satellite broadband, spectrum allocation, and competition across U.S. and international markets.
Dr. Yaswant Devarakonda is a Manager for the Space & Spectrum Policy Center at the Computer & Communications Industry Association. Dr. Devarakonda holds a PhD in Astronomy.
