Applications for internships have surged by 120% this year at Orbex as the Scottish rocket manufacturer prepares for its first launch in 2026.
Ishbel Inkster, chief people officer at Orbex, said the company expects to decide within the next few weeks which of nearly 2,000 applicants will join the latest cohort of nine interns as the company journeys towards liftoff. Last year Orbex received just shy of 900 applications.
She said it's "great" that a growing number of people are recognising the opportunities to work in Scotland's expanding space sector.
“We definitely started the process earlier this year, and that helps ," Ms Inkster said. "We had a lot of people contact us to register their interest, so we already had a number of people on file as well.
“There is an increased interest in the space sector in Scotland, which is great, and I also like to think it’s a little bit about Orbex and our own reputation.
"We have had a number of interns over the years, we keep in contact with them, and a lot of them come back and work for us once they have fully graduated. So we like to think that our reputation as an employer is growing too.”
The programme is open to undergraduate and postgraduate student with experience in mathematics, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, space or aerospace. Roles include positions within assembly, integration and test (AIT), software, legal, avionics, ground segment software, and structures.
The most popular position on offer was in mechanical engineering, which on its own attracted 500 applicants.
Orbex chief executive Phil Chambers announced a major change of strategy in December when he revealed that the company had shelved plans to launch from its own spaceport in Sutherland and instead focus on the development of rockets designed specifically for launch from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland. Orbex will have a dedicated launch pad at SaxaVord with capacity to handle 10 flights annually.
Orbex Prime is made at the company's headquarters in Moray where it employs most of its 155 UK employees. There are a further 85 members of staff in Copenhagen, where the business originated in 2015.
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'Huge economic potential' for space sector in Scotland
“Following the decision to move our initial launch services to SaxaVord Spaceport, we can confirm that the first test launch of Prime will take place next year, in 2026," Mr Chambers said.
"Our launch team is busy working on the infrastructure we need for our launch complex at SaxaVord, the process for transporting our equipment and the rocket to Unst and with the supply chain that will be helping us to achieve this.”
Matt Archer, director of launch at the UK Space Agency, said the strong interest in Orbex’s internship programme "speaks volumes" about the exciting career opportunities in the space sector.
"Orbex is playing a key role in developing the skills and talent of the future, and this surge in applications shows just how much young people want to be part of that journey," he said.
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