UK Space Jobs

• London
• On-site
• Entry level
• Permanent

An apprenticeship building space hardware, learning mechanical, electrical and optical assembly alongside engineers while working towards a recognised engineering qualification. You'll machine, assemble and wire in the workshop, help build and test real satellite laser ranging station hardware, and rotate through mechanical, electrical and optical work while studying with a college or training provider.

3D Printing

• London
• On-site
• Permanent

Install, commission and maintain autonomous satellite laser ranging stations at remote sites across Europe, South America, Africa and Australia, turning crates of hardware into working stations and keeping them running. Involves telescope, laser, enclosure, power and network work, fault diagnosis on site and remotely, preventive maintenance, and feeding field lessons back into design.

Telescope · Lidar

• Didcot
• Hybrid
• Senior
• Permanent

Develops and operates in-house flight dynamics software for orbital manoeuvres, rendezvous, docking and collision avoidance across multiple mission phases. Interfaces with GNC, ground segment and contractor teams, supports 24/7 shift operations, and works with MATLAB, C++ and Python in a hybrid Harwell-based team.

MATLAB · C++ · Python +1

• Didcot
• Hybrid
• Senior
• Permanent

Develops and maintains flight dynamics software for defence-focused space control missions, specifying algorithms and integrating with an in-house flight dynamics suite. Works in an Agile team with the commercial defence team and Chief Engineer, also supporting bids, customer training and ground segment verification and validation.

MATLAB · Python · Windows +2

• Chippenham
• Hybrid
• £60,000 – £80,000 pa
• Lead · manages people

Lead major consulting projects across defence, energy and health, delivering technical excellence in requirements engineering, architecture development, systems analysis and MBSE. The role combines team leadership, client delivery, technical expertise and business development, including bid input and mentoring junior consultants. Distinct for its defence focus and work with UK MOD, primes and government bodies.

INCOSE · C4I · Digital Engineering +2

• Milton Keynes
• Senior

Designs and implements embedded software across the full stack, from low-level drivers and board support packages to end-use applications, for Linux-based single-board computers and high-reliability microcontroller systems used in satellites, UAVs and launch vehicles. Involves code review, testing, qualification, in-orbit support and presenting design reviews to customers and executives.

Linux · FPGA · ARM

• Stevenage
• Hybrid
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Design, provision and maintain Linux systems and engineering hardware underpinning a defence and space development environment, with a focus on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The role provides technical leadership across projects, using Ansible and scripting (Python, BASH, PERL or PowerShell) to automate and improve infrastructure, while working with security teams on compliance.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux · Ansible · Python +3

• Portsmouth
• Hybrid
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Lead microwave instrument technical proposals and studies, focusing on Synthetic Aperture Radar for Earth observation and planetary missions. Analyse, design and develop instrument systems, monitor study progress, resolve technical issues and manage change with customers. Work with universities, small companies and agencies like ESA in a small team within the Microwave Department.

Synthetic Aperture Radar

• London
• On-site
• Mid-level
• Permanent

Monitor station health, tracking and data delivery across a global network of autonomous satellite laser ranging stations, triaging faults and coordinating fixes with field engineers. Build dashboards, alerting and runbooks, track performance, and help shape on-call and shift cover as the network expands across time zones.

Grafana · Prometheus

• London
• On-site
• Permanent

Coordinate international freight for high-value satellite laser ranging hardware, moving equipment from suppliers to London and on to sites across four continents. Handle customs documentation, commodity codes, duty, import VAT and temporary-import processes such as ATA Carnets, while tracking inventory and assets across sites.

Spreadsheets · Logistics Systems

• London
• On-site
• Senior
• Permanent

Lead geodetic processing and analysis of satellite laser ranging data, ensuring it meets international geodetic community standards and becomes trusted products. Define data quality standards, validate against analysis centres, and represent the company in the ILRS, IAG and wider geodetic community while guiding data scientists and engineers on models and algorithms.

GEODYN · Bernese · GipsyX

• London
• On-site
• Permanent

Turn high-volume satellite laser ranging data into geodetic and orbit products, building pipelines from raw returns to normal points and higher-level outputs. Develop statistical methods for bias detection, outlier rejection and quality checks, and analyse station and network performance with a geodesy and orbit determination team.

NumPy · pandas · SciPy +3

• London
• On-site
• Permanent

Builds image processing pipelines for optical satellite tracking, covering detection, streak extraction and astrometry, plus camera and timing calibration for traceable measurements. Also develops real-time processing for closed-loop tracking and validates results against catalogue orbits and laser ranging data, working closely with optics and software teams.

Astropy · Source Extractor

• London
• On-site
• Permanent

Builds the platform that ingests, processes and serves satellite laser ranging tracking data, from ground stations through to customer APIs. Involves designing time-series data models, ingest pipelines, message queues and secure, observable delivery in standard formats, working closely with front-end, geodesy and orbit determination engineers.

Docker · Kubernetes · Kafka +2

• London
• On-site
• Permanent

You'll be the technical voice in sales conversations, running discovery calls and demos with satellite operators and scoping tracking tiers, data products and retroreflectors. The role also covers RFP responses, supporting retroreflector integration onto spacecraft, feeding customer needs back to product and engineering, and building technical sales material. It sits within a small London team of engineers and scientists working on satellite laser ranging.

CRM