Both startups and publicly listed companies are racing to build what space needs next. Some are building cheaper rockets. Others are building what happens after launch, from spacecraft that move cargo around in orbit to satellites that watch over and defend what’s already up there.
Here are 10 companies to watch in 2026. We picked these ten because the money is already turning into something real, whether that’s a contract with a deadline or a new factory.
Under each company, we’ve noted what it has already done to earn its place, and where we expect it to hire, based on its public announcements.
The Race to Reusable Rockets
Getting to orbit is still the most expensive part of going to space. These three companies all have rockets coming together right now.
Stoke Space (Kent, WA)
Stoke is building Nova Pathfinder, a rocket designed so that every part of it can fly again. It’s targeting early 2027 for the first launch, with a larger version, Nova Block 2, planned for 2029.
Why it made the list: Stoke raised about $1 billion in September 2026. It shipped three of the seven engines its first stage needs for testing in July, and its Cape Canaveral launch pad is mostly complete.
Where we’d expect hiring: Propulsion engineering, structures
Relativity Space (Long Beach, CA)
Relativity Space is actively developing Terran R, a reusable medium-to-heavy-lift rocket designed for larger payloads with a targeted debut in late 2026. While the company’s second stage has arrived at NASA’s Stennis Space Center for testing, the first-stage booster is currently undergoing qualification testing at the factory.
Why it made the list: NASA added Terran R to its launch services contract in September 2026, making it eligible to compete for NASA missions. All 13 of its first-stage engines have passed acceptance testing and are being installed.
Where we’d expect hiring: Propulsion, launch operations
Rocket Lab (Long Beach, CA)
Rocket Lab’s Neutron is built to launch whole batches of satellites at once, with a first stage that lands and flies again. It hasn’t flown yet. A test failure in January pushed its debut back, and Rocket Lab is now aiming to launch by the end of 2026.
Why it made the list: Kepler Communications booked a dedicated Neutron launch in August 2026, planned for no earlier than 2028. The deal helps fill Neutron’s schedule through the end of the decade, with customers committing to a rocket that’s still in testing.
Where we’d expect hiring: Propulsion, structures, launch operations
The Real Growth Is in What Happens After Liftoff
Getting a payload to orbit is only half the job now. A second wave of companies is building the infrastructure for what happens in orbit. That includes moving spacecraft between orbits, powering computing in space and putting vehicles on the Moon.
Impulse Space (Redondo Beach, CA)
Impulse builds the vehicles that move spacecraft between orbits once a rocket drops them off. Its next vehicle, Helios, is larger and designed to carry payloads all the way toward
geostationary orbit.
Why it made the list: Impulse raised a $500 million Series D in June 2026. Its Mira vehicle has already flown multiple missions. At the time of the raise, Impulse had more than doubled its headcount in a year and had over 200 roles open.
Where we’d expect hiring: Propulsion, GNC, spacecraft systems
Cowboy Space (San Carlos, CA)
AI needs huge amounts of electricity, and data centers on the ground are running short of power. Cowboy Space wants to put them in orbit instead, running on solar power. It’s building its own rocket to get them there, and once in orbit, the top part of the rocket becomes the data center. The first engine test fire is planned for later this year in 2026.
Why it made the list: Cowboy Space raised a $275 million Series B in May 2026. It has taken over a former Costco warehouse in Kent, Washington, where it expects to add 300 jobs.
Where we’d expect hiring: Propulsion, hardware production, manufacturing
Lunar Outpost (Golden, CO)
NASA’s upcoming Moon crews will be prospecting for resources and scouting sites for a permanent base. They’ll need something to drive, and Lunar Outpost is one of two companies building it. Its Pegasus rover, developed with General Motors and Goodyear, carries two astronauts and can also drive itself or be steered from Earth. Delivery to NASA is planned for November 2027.
Why it made the list: NASA selected Lunar Outpost in May 2026 to build a crewed Moon rover under a $220 million contract. The company is already building full-scale drivable prototypes for astronaut training while the flight hardware goes through qualification.
Where we’d expect hiring: Mechanical and vehicle engineering, mission systems
Watching, Listening and Defending From Orbit
The third group builds the systems that watch, talk to or defend what’s already up there, and military demand is pushing much of that hiring.
CesiumAstro (Austin, TX)
Most satellites need a way to talk, and CesiumAstro builds that part. It makes phased-array antennas and radios for other companies’ satellites, and its own satellites too. The company is now scaling up to build them at much higher volumes.
Why it made the list: CesiumAstro raised $470 million in February 2026 to fund a new headquarters and factory outside Austin.
Where we’d expect hiring: RF and phased-array engineering, manufacturing
True Anomaly (Centennial, CO)
True Anomaly’s Jackal is a spacecraft that flies up to other satellites to inspect them. The company holds a contract to supply Jackals to the Space Force’s GHOST-R program, and plans to grow from 250 people to more than 500 by the end of 2026.
Why it made the list: In July 2026, 61 hours after the Space Force gave the go-ahead, Jackal found its target in orbit, circled it and photographed it up close, beating the military’s 72-hour goal. True Anomaly also raised a $650 million Series D in April.
Where we’d expect hiring: GNC, autonomy software, cleared roles
AST SpaceMobile (Midland, TX)
AST SpaceMobile’s satellites connect directly to ordinary smartphones, with no special hardware. It’s aiming to have 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027 and wants to build six a month.
Why it made the list: As of August 2026, AST SpaceMobile had about 25 satellites in orbit and more than 60 mobile carriers signed on, including AT&T and Verizon.
Where we’d expect hiring: RF, flight software, ground systems
Voyager Technologies (Denver, CO)
The US wants a missile-defense shield with interceptors stationed in space, a program called Golden Dome. Those interceptors need propulsion, and Voyager supplies it: thrusters that let satellites maneuver in orbit, and solid propellants that help fire their motors. It’s also building lunar landers and a commercial space station set to follow the ISS.
Why it made the list: Voyager reported $84.3 million in Golden Dome-related awards in Q2 2026, and its order backlog reached a record $335.5 million.
Where we’d expect hiring: Propulsion, energetics, defense systems
If you’re looking at your next move in space, a big funding round is a good sign, but it’s only the start. The companies worth watching are the ones with something to show for it: a customer waiting on a delivery date, hardware in testing, a factory being built, a team that’s growing. Those are the companies that will need people, and soon. We work with space companies hiring across propulsion, GNC, RF, software and more. See what’s open.