December 2025 closed out with hiring sentiment in the space sector still upbeat, driven mainly by U.S. national security satellite work and a few unusually large private financings. The Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer awards allocated billions across Rocket Lab, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris. With a fiscal year 2029 launch window in view, that mix supports ongoing demand for spacecraft production, IR payload integration, ground software, and program execution talent.
On the investment front, K2 Space’s $250M Series C and HawkEye 360’s $150M Series E stood out and are likely to support near-term team growth across manufacturing, mission operations, and analytics. Outside the U.S., India maintained steady momentum, with multiple growth rounds across SSA and launch. Regulation was also active: the Office of Space Commerce advanced its “mission authorization” work, and the FCC continued moving proposed licensing modernization forward. Together, those developments add to the case for continued hiring in compliance and spectrum roles.
Top 7 Hiring Signals
Rocket Lab Lands $816M U.S. Space Force Satellite Contract
Rocket Lab secured a $816 million Space Development Agency award to design and manufacture 18 Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites. The award strengthens near-term demand for satellite engineering, production, and program delivery teams connected to its Long Beach, California footprint.
K2 Space Raises $250M Series C to Expand Satellite Manufacturing
K2 Space’s $250 million Series C (announced Dec. 11, 2025) will help scale high-power satellite platforms and deepen vertical integration. It also points to hiring demand in manufacturing, hardware engineering, test, and supply chain.
Lockheed Martin Awarded $1.1B for Missile Warning, Tracking, and Defense Satellites
Lockheed Martin received a $1.1 billion SDA award to build 18 Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites. The size and scope suggest continued needs in payload integration, spacecraft systems engineering, and program management across U.S. sites supporting national security space.
HawkEye 360 Closes $150M Series E (Alongside ISA Acquisition)
HawkEye 360’s $150 million Series E financing, alongside its acquisition of Innovative Signal Analysis, supports ongoing hiring across RF analytics, signal processing, and cleared roles tied to government-focused missions.
Mantis Space Launches Albuquerque Hub, Adding 200+ High-Wage Jobs
Mantis Space selected Albuquerque, New Mexico for its headquarters and manufacturing hub, with plans tied to more than 200 local high-tech, high-wage roles. The move should create a meaningful regional draw for engineering and advanced manufacturing talent.
Series of Strategic Investments Signal Surge in Indian Space Hiring
Funding rounds for Digantara ($50M Series B), EtherealX ($21M Series A), and Dhruva Space (undisclosed venture funding) support continued headcount growth in India across SSA software, avionics, test operations, and mission delivery functions.
U.S. Regulatory Developments Expand Compliance Hiring Needs
Regulatory work in December added new compliance workload. The Office of Space Commerce held a Dec. 3 stakeholder briefing on “mission authorization,” and the FCC advanced proposed reforms to modernize space licensing, including a new variable trajectory spacecraft system category. Demand should remain firm for licensing, spectrum, and regulatory affairs talent.
K2 Space (US) – Series C, $250M. The large raise supports hiring across satellite manufacturing, systems engineering, integration, and operations. Source.
HawkEye 360 (US) – Series E, $150M. Funding supports growth in RF sensing and analytics, with hiring likely across ops and cleared programs. Source.
Starlab Space (US) – Corporate, Undisclosed (total: $233M). Commercial station development continues to draw engineering and operations talent. Source.
Digantara (India) – Series B, $50M (total: $64.4M). A hiring tailwind for SSA software and data-heavy roles. Source.
Orbion Space Technology (US) – Venture, $27.1M (total: $56.8M). Propulsion expansion suggests continued demand for engineers and manufacturing hires. Source.
EtherealX (India) – Series A, $21M (total: $26M). Reusable launch development often brings hiring in avionics, structures, and test ops. Source.
Dhruva Space (India) – Venture, Undisclosed (total: $21.8M). End-to-end mission work supports roles in systems, program delivery, and satellite builds. Source.
Moonshot Space (Israel) – Venture, $11M (total: $12M). Early-stage kinetic launch R&D can support focused technical hiring. Source.
Ashiyana Space (UK) – Seed, £750K. Early hiring is likely concentrated in geospatial analytics, AI, and commercial roles. Source.
Zephyr Fusion (US) – Pre-seed, $500K. A small round, but still a marker for niche early engineering and research hires. Source.
Contracts and Grants
U.S. Space Force / Space Development Agency → Rocket Lab (Long Beach, California, USA) – $816 million. 18 Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites. Read more.
U.S. Space Force / Space Development Agency → Northrop Grumman (Redondo Beach, California, USA) – $764 million. 18 Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites. Read more.
Space Development Agency → Lockheed Martin (USA) – $1.1 billion. 18 Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites. Read more.
Space Development Agency → L3Harris Technologies (USA) – Up to $843 million. 18 Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites, plus related software and sustainment scope. Read more.
Launch and Regulation
U.S. Department of Commerce (Office of Space Commerce) (United States) – Stakeholder briefing on “Mission Authorization,” Dec. 3, 2025. Read more.
Federal Communications Commission (United States) – NPRM proposing modernized space licensing rules, including longer license terms and a VTSS pathway. Read more.
Expansions and Workforce Updates
Expansions
Mantis Space (Albuquerque, NM) – New headquarters and manufacturing hub announcement, tied to 200+ jobs. Source.
L3Harris (Calhoun County) – Construction of 20+ solid rocket motor manufacturing facilities (130K+ sq ft). Source.
NASA Kennedy Space Center (Kennedy Space Center, FL) – Ongoing construction and infrastructure upgrades supporting Artemis and commercial launch activity.
Houston Spaceport (Houston, TX) – Second phase development supporting anchor tenants..
Layoffs
No material workforce reductions captured in this month’s dataset.
Regions: United States, California (Long Beach/Redondo Beach), New Mexico (Albuquerque), Texas (Cameron County/Houston), Florida (Kennedy Space Center), India, United Kingdom, Israel
This bar chart visualizes orbital launch activity for December 2025, capping a record-breaking year with approximately 40 attempts worldwide (38 successes, 2 failures). The United States led strongly with ~28 launches, dominated by SpaceX's Falcon 9 (high-volume Starlink and commercial missions) and additional New Glenn flights from Blue Origin. China followed with ~10 launches via CASC's Long March family (including the maiden flight of Long March 12A on Dec 23 with partial recovery failure) and commercial providers wrapping up their 92-launch annual record. Europe added 2 missions (Ariane 6 or Vega C for Galileo/EO payloads), India 1 (likely LVM3 for heavy comms satellite), and "Others" 1 (e.g., emerging South Korean Hanbit-Nano or similar test). Russia had no orbital activity this month.
Sources: Wikipedia (2025 in spaceflight - December section showing 40 attempts), Gunter's Space Page (2025 orbital launches tally), SpaceNews (China's year-end missions), NASASpaceFlight.com (December launch roundups), Jonathan McDowell's space activities summary (2025 totals). Data as of early 2026.
Methodology and Sources
This report compiles December 2025 announcements from Payload, European Spaceflight, SpaceNews, FCC, FAA, and ESA STAR. Events are
scored on a five-point scale for expected hiring impact within 3 to 12 months. Rankings weigh
funding size, contract value, immediacy, and regional scope.
If you notice any discrepancies or missing information, please contact us at team@spacejobsearch.com.
