Spacecraft AIT jobs UK: how to get into satellite integration and test

By Julie Fixter, Client Partnership Consultant, Future Tech Jobs

Ever wondered who actually puts a satellite together?

Not the people who dream it up. The people who build it, plug it in, switch it on and prove it works.

That's AIT: assembly, integration and test. Spacecraft AIT jobs are the hands-on roles that turn a pile of subsystems into a satellite that's been proven ready to fly. In the UK you can get in through a Level 2 apprenticeship with no prior experience, through a technician route built on soldering and harness skills, or through a degree followed by a few years in test. Employers are hiring at all three levels right now.

What does a spacecraft AIT engineer do?

Three words, three jobs.

• Assembly: building the hardware, from bonding and harness routing to fitting units into the structure.

• Integration: bringing the subsystems together and making sure they talk to each other.

• Test: proving it all works on the ground, before it goes somewhere nobody can reach it with a screwdriver.

One live advert on the board describes the job as taking satellites from integrated subsystems to flight-ready, fully verified vehicles. That means turning requirements into test procedures, running the test campaigns and closing out every requirement with evidence.

It's the bit of the space industry where you can actually touch the spacecraft. Gloves on, obviously.

Why AIT is a good place to be right now

More satellites built in the UK means more people needed to build and prove them. And the building is picking up. This year alone:

• Lockheed Martin UK has set a goal of up to 2,000 new space jobs. Its first tranche of vacancies, in the North East, Helensburgh and Havant, included trainee and junior systems integration and testing engineers as well as qualified integration and test engineers (Get Into Newcastle, June 2026).

• Space Test North is coming to Providence Park in Keighley: a £9m radio frequency and environmental space-testing facility, run by MPG Europe and part funded by a £4.5m grant, expected to bring 50 high-value jobs (Yorkshire Post, 21 October 2026).

• Magdrive's DEEP Lab at Harwell is a £3.8m electric propulsion facility built around a 2-metre vacuum chamber for testing thrusters, set to create 50 highly skilled jobs (GOV.UK).

• The UK Space Strategy is backed by more than £7.8 billion to 2029/30. The sector already employed over 55,500 people across more than 1,900 organisations in 2022/23 (GOV.UK).

The message is clear: test capacity is being built, and test capacity needs testers.

Three ways into spacecraft AIT

Route 1: an apprenticeship, with no experience needed

Airbus Defence and Space is recruiting for its Satellites Assemble, Integrate and Test Craft Apprenticeship (Level 2) in Stevenage. It runs for three years, starts on 31 August 2027 and pays a starting salary of £18,000. The advert says no prior experience is required. GCSE Maths and English at grade 3 are desirable, and funding eligibility is for 16 to 21 year olds.

You'd learn bonding, harness routing, soldering, crimping and electrical testing, with college time at North Herts College. Applications close on 30 January 2027, and you'll need the right to work in the UK.

Not bad for a first job: you'd be building satellites before most of your mates have worked out the office coffee machine.

Route 2: the technician route

If you already have the hand skills, this is your shortcut. NewOrbit Space in Reading has advertised an AIT & Electronics Technician role building, integrating and testing electronic boards, harnesses and rigs. It asks for IPC-A-610 Class 3 and IPC/WHMA-A-620 harness certification (or equivalent demonstrated experience) and proven hands-on experience. There's no degree listed. It was posted in July, so check it's still open before you apply.

This is the route for career changers. If you've built harnesses or boards to a high standard in automotive, rail, defence or electronics manufacturing, your skills travel. The satellite is just a fussier customer.

Route 3: a degree plus test experience

For engineers, NewOrbit's AIT Systems Integration Engineer role in Reading (posted 29 October) asks for a degree in aerospace, electronic, electrical or systems engineering or physics, or equivalent experience. It typically wants three or more years in spacecraft AIT, systems integration or test. You'd work with EGSE and checkout systems, and tools such as OpenC3/COSMOS, Yamcs and SCOS-2000 are a plus. Visa sponsorship is available.

Testing in another industry counts. Bring the evidence.

The skills AIT employers ask for

Here's the shopping list, pulled from live adverts on the board:

• Hand skills: soldering, crimping, harness routing and lacing, bonding

• Workmanship standards: IPC-A-610 Class 3, IPC/WHMA-A-620 and ECSS standards

• Test equipment: oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies and data acquisition

• EGSE, checkout systems and functional and system-level testing

• Requirements and verification: writing test procedures and tracking verification, with tools such as DOORS

• ESD discipline and reading schematics and drawings

• Security checks: Airbus roles need BPSS, and some space roles may need SC clearance

Notice what's not on the list? A PhD.

AIT rewards people who are careful, curious and happy to write down exactly what they did. In test, if it isn't recorded, it didn't happen.

What do spacecraft AIT jobs pay?

There isn't a dedicated UK salary survey for AIT, so here's the best guide I can give you. Prospects puts aerospace engineer starting salaries at £25,000 to £35,000, rising to £30,000 to £60,000 with experience and £50,000 to £80,000+ at senior level. It also notes that specialist sectors such as space systems typically pay more (Prospects).

At the entry end, the Airbus apprenticeship starts at £18,000 while you train. Many engineering adverts say "competitive" rather than giving a figure, so ask early.

What you actually want from your first AIT role

Here's what I believe about hiring in niche tech: the best candidates aren't scrolling job ads. They're choosing between offers.

And people choose the companies they already know.

That works both ways. Employers hiring for specialist test roles want a specialist audience, not a thousand random CVs. So the smartest thing you can do is get on the radar before the vacancy appears. Know who's building satellites, know what they test, and make sure your CV is somewhere they'll find it.

The right role, the right board, the right people. The best candidates have a choice. Be the choice.

How to stand out for your first AIT job

• Name your standards. If you hold IPC certifications, put them at the top of your CV.

• Describe a test you ran: what you checked, what failed and what you did next.

• Show you like procedures and paperwork. In AIT that's a strength, not a chore.

• Check your clearance eligibility early, because many roles involve security checks.

• Watch the dates. The Airbus apprenticeship closes on 30 January 2027.

Don't wait for the vacancy. Set the alert now.

Spacecraft AIT jobs: FAQ

What does AIT stand for in the space industry?

AIT stands for assembly, integration and test. It covers building spacecraft hardware, bringing the subsystems together and testing that the whole spacecraft works before launch.

Do you need a degree for spacecraft AIT jobs?

Not always. Live adverts on the board include a Level 2 apprenticeship with no prior experience required and a technician role that asks for certifications and hands-on experience rather than a degree. Engineer roles usually ask for a degree or equivalent experience.

How much do AIT engineers earn in the UK?

As a guide, Prospects puts aerospace engineer starting salaries at £25,000 to £35,000, £30,000 to £60,000 with experience and £50,000 to £80,000+ at senior level, with space systems typically paying more. Apprenticeships start lower while you train.

Where are spacecraft AIT jobs in the UK?

Current and announced AIT work includes Stevenage, Reading, Harwell in Oxfordshire, the North East, Helensburgh, Havant and Keighley. Browse AIT jobs on UK Space Jobs for the latest.

If you're a builder, a tester or a tinkerer who has ever looked up and wondered, I'd love to see you on the board. Any questions, let me know!

Find your next AIT role

• Browse UK space jobs, or go straight to AIT roles

• Set up a job alert for "AIT" or "integration and test"

• Upload your CV so space employers can find you

• Create an account to save jobs and manage alerts

• Thinking about the apprenticeship route? Read our guide to UK space apprenticeships, or see space debris removal jobs for another fast-growing corner of the sector.

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.