What it does: Sends satellites and people to space, including NASA crews to the International Space Station (ISS). It also provides satellite communications and develops a satellite internet constellation to provide commercial internet service.
Mission: Build the next generation of fully reusable launch vehicles that will be the most powerful ever built, capable of carrying humans to Mars and other destinations in the solar system.
Size and presence: SpaceX has many offices with more than 12,000 employees working for the corporation.
Best known for: Its International Space Station missions and it is the first private company to launch, orbit, and recover a spacecraft.
The good bits: The company was founded to revolutionize space technology and has changed the spaceflight landscape even during its few years of existence. It is one of the great companies to work for as it provides a smooth environment to its employees. The best part is that employees have the opportunity to become part of the great history.
The not-so-good bits: The hardest part of working with a company like SpaceX is high-quality driven production for which adaptability is imperative. It is all about staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and thinking out of the box.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. or SpaceX is an American spacecraft manufacturer, space launch provider, and satellite communications corporation based in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk as he wanted to do something to reduce space transportation costs to enable Mars colonization.
In 2001, Elon Musk conceptualized a project to grow plants on Mars and named it Mars Oasis but later announced to start a company to build affordable rockets. He believed to keep everything affordable by applying vertical integration and using cheap components when possible. Also, he planned to adopt the modular approach of modern soft engineering.
SpaceX manufactures the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles, Cargo Dragon, crew spacecraft, Starlink communications satellites, and several rocket engines. It is also developing Starship which will be a fully reusable, super heavy-lift launch system for interplanetary and orbital spaceflight Starship which will have the highest payload capacity.
The company has gained worldwide attention for its achievements and is the only private company to gain immense popularity. It aims to reduce the cost of space access for which a fully reusable rocket is the breakthrough.
The culture at SpaceX is inclusive and mellow with an emphasis on innovation, quality, and scheduling. Though it is a great place to work, employees may sometimes need to work long hours as the projects are pretty demanding. But overall very rewarding as innovations take place at a place like SpaceX too for the benefit of the entire world.
Getting a job at SpaceX is like a dream come true for many but the selection process is quite thorough as the corporation looks for the best talent. After applying for any position at SpaceX, the applicant may have to wait for around 2 to 5 months. Sometimes, the hiring process takes only a few weeks.
Candidates can check the open positions in different departments and at different locations by visiting the SpaceX careers page. All current openings are listed on the page with details like job type, location, and employment type. The introduction and requirements of all positions are also clearly mentioned.
Candidates can directly apply for the job they are eligible for from the website before heading towards the further process. Applicants may have to complete two to four phone interviews before getting selected for in-person interviews. Candidates who will pass the phone interviews will be called to the SpaceX campus for a full day of questioning.
Some positions may also require written tests and medical examinations while others only have some rounds of interviews. Most positions at SpaceX are highly demanding and accountable, so a thorough hiring process can be expected.
SpaceX offers many career opportunities for recent graduates and experienced candidates as well as veterans. It can be a perfect place for those who are looking for the most creative, innovative, and technical job roles. Being a giant in the space industry, SpaceX offers endless opportunities to learn new things and build futuristic solutions.
There are many departments at SpaceX with each consisting of many job roles at different locations. Some of the most important departments include Application Software, Avionics, Build and Flight Reliability, Civil Engineering & Construction, Finance & Purchasing, Navigation & Control, Human Resources & Office Support, Information Technology, Launch Engineering, and more.
The types of employment are available at SpaceX full-time, temporary, and intern. Candidates can also choose from different locations in the United States.
SpaceX was formed to revolutionize the aerospace industry and make affordable spaceflight a reality. Since its formation, the corporation has done a lot for the world, communities, and the environment. It became the first private company to launch a payload into orbit and return it to Earth intact. Although the same has been done by agencies like NASA or Russia Roscosmos they are government agencies.
Moreover, SpaceX believes in environment-friendly operations as it works on the principle of reuse and sustainability. It was able to reduce the cost of launch to high orbit by over $6,000 per kilogram and also reduce the impact on the environment by >40% over the Falcon 9 system.
In a recent controversy, the employees of SpaceX call CEO Elon Musk a distraction in a letter. According to them, Elon’s behavior in the public sphere is quite distracting and embarrassing for them. The letter also added that as a CEO and most prominent spokesperson, Elon is seen as the face of SpaceX and every word he says is a de facto public statement by the company.