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Space debris removal jobs UK: what the new £60m mission means for you
The UK is funding a £60m+ mission to clear space junk. Here are the jobs and skills behind it, and how to get into in-orbit servicing.
By Julie Fixter, Client Partnership Consultant, Future Tech Jobs
Who fancies a job tidying up space?
I'm not joking. Turns out even orbit needs a bin day.
On 15 October the UK government announced a national mission to remove space junk, backed by more than £60m. ClearSpace UK is the industry delivery partner. As the programme progresses it plans to create specialised roles in rendezvous and proximity operations, guidance, navigation and control (GNC), robotics, spacecraft systems and mission operations.
So here's the short answer. Space debris removal jobs in the UK are engineering and operations roles. The people in them design, test and fly spacecraft that can find, catch and dispose of dead satellites. The core skills are ones UK space employers are hiring for right now: GNC, systems engineering, flight and ground software, robotics and mission operations. You can start building them today in roles that are live on UK Space Jobs.
What has the UK actually announced?
In quick steps:
More than £60m of government funding for the UK Active Debris Removal (UK ADR) mission, which the government calls a world first.
A refuellable spacecraft with robotic capture will take two defunct satellites down to a lower orbit, where they burn up. No spacecraft has disposed of more than one satellite this way before.
Launch is planned for 2029 from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, with both satellites out of orbit by 2032.
ClearSpace UK, the British business of in-orbit services company ClearSpace, will deliver it. Satnews reports the contract is worth about £61m and that Astroscale and Starfish Space were also in the running.
Why bother? The government says there are hundreds of thousands of tracked debris objects moving at over 17,000 mph. They threaten the satellites behind GPS, weather forecasts, communications and national security.
Someone has to pick up the litter. Carefully. At 17,000 mph.
Is this a one-off, or a whole new career area?
It's bigger than one mission.
Debris removal sits inside in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM). The government expects ISAM to grow into a billion-dollar industry within the next decade. Satellites today are mostly single use, and repairing, refuelling and protecting them is a priority in the new UK Space Strategy.
The money backs that up. The strategy's technical delivery annex includes:
£40m for ISAM demonstrations and capability development, with a demonstration contract expected in 2027
£85m for civil space domain awareness, the work of tracking what's up there, which includes the National Space Operations Centre
£14m for an education and future workforce programme, with a national training fund launching in 2027
All of this sits on top of a UK space sector the government values at £18.6bn, supporting more than 55,000 skilled jobs.
This isn't one mission. It's the start of a queue.
The jobs behind a debris removal mission
ClearSpace UK's own list of the roles it plans to create is a good map. Here's who it takes to catch a satellite that was never built to be caught:
Rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) engineers plan how a spacecraft safely closes in on a tumbling object without bumping into it.
GNC engineers write the navigation filters, guidance and control that steer the spacecraft.
Robotics engineers design and test the capture mechanism.
Spacecraft systems engineers hold it all together: requirements, mass and power budgets, fault handling and test campaigns.
Mission operations engineers fly it, from commissioning to dealing with anomalies on the day.
The Satellite Applications Catapult's workforce foresighting work on active debris removal adds space situational awareness, which means tracking and managing space traffic and debris. It also suggests recruiting people with transferable skills, such as maintenance and operations technicians.
The takeaway: it's a team sport. You don't need to be a rocket scientist. You need to be brilliant at one piece of the puzzle.
The skills employers are asking for right now
For anyone who likes their evidence neat, here's what current adverts in this space ask for:
GNC and AOCS. Indra Space Systems UK is advertising a GNC/AOCS Engineer at Harwell. The role covers designing GNC and fault-handling algorithms for Earth observation and debris removal or in-orbit servicing missions. It asks for MATLAB and Simulink, a relevant degree and at least four years' experience.
Orbital software. Spire's Mathematical Software Engineer role in Glasgow builds the systems that schedule manoeuvres for its satellite constellation. Rust is the main language, and orbital mechanics is a plus.
Systems engineering. A Systems Engineer role in Oxford (listed at £65,000 to £75,000) covers link budgets, fault detection, FMECA and test campaigns for satellite payloads.
Navigation without GPS. Flarebright's Software Engineer role in Bicester (£39,000 to £49,000) wants strong C++ and real-time embedded skills, with expertise in areas such as positioning, navigation and timing.
There's also a skills gap. The UK Space Agency's skills survey in 2023 found 80% of organisations had recruitment difficulties. Software, data and systems engineering were the hardest roles to fill.
Translation: if you're good at software, data or systems, the space sector wants to hear from you.
Space roles you can apply for today
None of these is on the debris removal mission itself. Each one builds the same skills that mission needs, and they're all live on the board:
Mission Operations Engineer, Alton, Hampshire: a six-month contract at £60 to £65 an hour, supporting small satellite missions, commissioning and anomaly investigations
Satellite Ground Station Systems Engineer, Chilton, Oxfordshire: £38,000 to £68,000, covering telemetry, tracking and command
Software Engineer, Spire, Glasgow: building testing frameworks and the update pipeline for satellite software in orbit
Mathematical Software Engineer, Spire, Glasgow: manoeuvre and ground contact scheduling
Systems Engineer, Oxford: satellite sensor and communication payloads
Get a couple of years of this under your belt and you're exactly who an in-orbit servicing team calls first.
How to move into in-orbit servicing from somewhere else
Coming from outside space? Good. Plenty of the skills travel.
From robotics, automotive or industrial control: control theory, sensors and actuators are the heart of GNC and capture systems.
From software: real-time C++, Rust and Python all appear in current space adverts, along with testing and CI pipelines.
From defence or aviation: systems engineering, requirements management and security clearance eligibility come up again and again.
Graduates: most adverts ask for a degree in engineering, physics, maths or computer science. Some senior and research roles ask for an MSc or PhD.
Pick your closest match, learn the space vocabulary (RPO, AOCS, FDIR, ECSS) and say it plainly on your CV.
What you really want from your next move
Here's something I say a lot: in niche tech, the best candidates aren't scrolling job ads. They're choosing between offers.
And when people choose, they tend to pick the companies they already know.
So if catching satellites sounds like your kind of Tuesday, don't wait for the perfect vacancy to appear. Get to know the employers now. Follow them, read what they're building, and make sure your CV is somewhere specialist recruiters actually look. Specialist roles need a specialist audience, and niche matters on both sides of the hire.
Don't wait for the vacancy. Be the name they already know when it opens.
Any questions about getting into space, let me know. I'd love to hear what you're working towards.
FAQ: space debris removal jobs in the UK
What is active debris removal?
It means sending a spacecraft to capture dead satellites or other debris and move them to a lower orbit, where they burn up in the atmosphere. The UK ADR mission will do this for two defunct satellites.
Who is delivering the UK's debris removal mission?
ClearSpace UK, working with the UK Space Agency. The government is putting in more than £60m. Launch is planned for 2029 from SaxaVord Spaceport, and both satellites should be removed by 2032.
What skills do I need for space debris removal jobs?
The roles ClearSpace UK says it will create are in rendezvous and proximity operations, GNC, robotics, spacecraft systems and mission operations. Current adverts in this area ask for MATLAB and Simulink, C++, Python or Rust, systems engineering and spacecraft operations experience.
Do I need a PhD to work in space debris removal?
Not usually. Most current adverts ask for a relevant degree plus experience, and some research-heavy roles ask for an MSc or PhD. Transferable experience from robotics, software, defence and aviation counts.
Where can I find space debris and in-orbit servicing jobs?
Browse live roles on UK Space Jobs and set up a job alert for GNC, mission operations or spacecraft systems. That way you'll hear as new roles land.
Find your next space role
Ready to get started? Here's where to begin:
Set up a job alert for GNC, mission operations or spacecraft systems roles
Upload your CV so specialist employers can find you
Employers mentioned: Spire and Flarebright
The right role, the right board, the right people. Let's find yours.
About the author
Julie Fixter is a Client Partnership Consultant at Future Tech Jobs, helping employers and recruitment partners reach specialist talent across AI, quantum, robotics, semiconductors, space and the rest of the FTJ network. She spent seven years in sales at a UK software house before joining FTJ, and trained in psychodynamic counselling, which shapes how she thinks about what candidates actually want from a move. Based in Manchester. Connect with Julie on LinkedIn.
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