Spacecraft Test Technicians

Employment for aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians (a category that includes spacecraft test technicians) is expected to grow 8 percent through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This is faster than the average for all careers.

There should be strong job opportunities for spacecraft test technicians because the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has a full slate of spacecraft launches planned for the next two decades. These include its Artemis mission, which will return humans to the surface of the moon for the first time since 1972; the Dragonfly Mission, in which an un-crewed rotorcraft will explore Saturn’s icy moon, Titan; and ongoing and future Mars missions (such as the current Mars Rover exploration, the Mars Sample Return Campaign [which aims to return samples of Martian rocks and soil back to Earth], and an eventual mission for humans to make the 34 million-mile trip to Mars). NASA is partnering with commercial space companies for some projects.

The strong growth of the commercial space industry suggests that there will be even greater opportunities for technicians in coming years. Companies such as SpaceX and Virgin Galactic now play major roles in transporting cargo into space, and they are also exploring the space tourism market. Additionally, SpaceX—via its Starlink program—is in the process of launching up to 12,000 communication satellites (with the possibility of an additional 28,000 satellites) into Earth’s orbit to expand broadband access, and aims to launch an additional 30,000 satellites. Several other companies (including TeleSat, OneWeb, and Amazon) also want to enter the aerospace broadband business.