UK-based orbital launch services company, Orbex, spent Monday 2 October with pupils from Farr High School, Thurso, encouraging them to consider a career in the space sector. As part of a secondary school careers event, Orbex highlighted the job opportunities, different skills and the pathways that can lead to a career in Scotland’s spaceflight industry.

Thanks to the rapid growth of the Scottish spaceflight industry, space job opportunities are generating high levels of interest, especially among young people. Kirsteen Mackay, Space Port Preparation and Support Manager, Orbex, joined representatives from five other key community employers at the event aimed at giving secondary school students the chance to learn about opportunities in the local area.

Ms Mackay met with 55 students at Farr High School to describe how Orbex developed one of the most advanced, low carbon, high performance micro-launch vehicles in the world. The young people were particularly interested in the way Orbex has succeeded in combining its business and sustainability goals. Its reusable rocket, Orbex Prime, is engineered to leave zero debris in orbit and its Sutherland spaceport aims to be the first, globally, to be carbon-neutral in its construction and operation.

Ms Mackay addressed students’ interest in all aspects of rocket design and development and helped students to understand the career opportunities in the commercial space industry. Ms Mackay, who is also a director of the Melness Crofters’ Estate, was able to provide her unique perspective on the skills and pathways that have enabled her to combine her passion and commitment to the land and local community with a career in high-tech.

Kirsteen Mackay, Space Port Preparation and Support Manager, Orbex commented, “It’s been a privilege engaging with the students at Farr High School about the many opportunities available right here and now in spaceflight. Although our rockets go up into space, we as a company are rooted in the community and surrounding landscape. That’s why we want to encourage local young people to get involved and inspire them to aim for a career in the space industry.”

About Orbex

Orbex is a UK-based spaceflight company with headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, and design and testing facilities in Denmark. Orbex staff members have professional backgrounds with NASA, ESA and several commercial spaceflight organisations. The company is funded by the Scottish National Investment bank, two of the UK’s largest venture capital funds, BGF and Octopus Ventures, two of Europe’s largest venture capital funds, Heartcore Capital and the High-Tech Gründerfonds, as well as strategic investors Elecnor, parent company of Deimos Space, and Jacobs, the largest services supplier to NASA. The company has won more than a dozen R&D contracts from a wide variety of bodies, including the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme.

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