Software, data & the business
Ground Software & IT
Write and run the software, networks and IT systems that operate satellites, factories and launch sites.
What it is
Ground software and IT covers all the computing a space company runs on Earth. That includes the mission control software operators use to command satellites and watch their health, the data platforms that move telemetry and test data, the factory and business systems that track every part, and the networks, servers and security that keep it all running. Much of the work looks like software and IT anywhere else, applied to hardware that is in orbit or on a launch pad.
What you actually do
- Build web tools that operators use to send commands to satellites and ground stations, watch telemetry and run procedures.
- Write backend services and databases (often Python, Go or C#, with PostgreSQL) that store telemetry, test and production data.
- Build factory software that tracks parts, builds and inspections from raw material intake to launch.
- Run cloud and on-site infrastructure with Kubernetes, Terraform and CI/CD pipelines, and set up the monitoring that shows when a service is unhealthy.
- Support the networks, servers and workstations at launch sites and test stands, including in person during launch and test campaigns.
- Lock down accounts, cloud systems and networks so export-controlled data and Controlled Unclassified Information stay protected.
What a real task looks like
Add a telemetry view for satellite operators
Operators ask for one screen that shows battery and temperature trends for a group of satellites. You write the backend query, build the page in React, and add limits that highlight values out of range. Before release you test it against recorded telemetry and walk the operators through it, because a confusing screen can lead to a wrong command.
Automate test-stand data analysis
A propulsion team spends hours after every engine test copying data into spreadsheets. You build a pipeline that ingests the test-stand telemetry, runs the standard checks and posts a dashboard the engineers can open shortly after the test. Then you keep it working as sensors and test sequences change.
Prepare launch-site IT for a campaign
Before a launch campaign you patch servers, check network switches and firewall rules, and confirm the launch control room workstations, displays and phones all work. During the campaign you are on site or on call to fix problems quickly. Larger upgrades wait for the quiet period between operations, sometimes on evenings or weekends.
Is it right for you?
Most people come from regular software engineering, IT administration, DevOps or cybersecurity, often with no aerospace background, and some space employers state in their postings that aerospace experience is not required. People who thrive here like owning a tool from idea to production, enjoy working next to the engineers and operators who use it, and stay calm when something breaks during a launch or test. Expect on-call duty and some weekend work around operations.
This is a good fit if
- You already build web apps, backend services or infrastructure and want that work to run real spacecraft, factories or launch sites.
- You like sitting with users (operators, technicians, engineers) to learn their workflow before you write code.
- You can handle being on call and fixing a live system under time pressure.
- You care about reliability, testing and clear documentation as much as new features.
What you need
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math or a related field, or several years of professional software experience in place of a degree
- For IT support and systems administration roles: a high school diploma plus several years of hands-on IT experience
- U.S. person status (citizen, green card holder, refugee or asylee) for most roles, because the systems and data are export-controlled under ITAR
- Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance for national security programs and some IT security roles
Skills that help
How to get started
- 1Pick a lane: application and mission software, infrastructure and DevOps, IT and networks, or cybersecurity. Postings are written and screened that way.
- 2Get solid on the stack postings keep naming: a backend language such as Python, a web framework such as React, PostgreSQL, Git, CI/CD, Docker and Linux.
- 3Build a small project with real space data, for example a dashboard that tracks satellites from publicly published orbit data or a tool that plots telemetry from an open dataset.
- 4If you are heading for IT, add hands-on networking and scripting (TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls, Bash or PowerShell) and get comfortable with infrastructure as code.
- 5Check that you meet the U.S. person rule for the roles you want, and note on your resume if you hold or have held a security clearance.
- 6Apply to roles labeled application software, mission software, factory platform, IT or security, and in interviews show how you learn a user's problem before building.
Common misconceptions
Myth: You need an aerospace degree to write software for a space company.
Reality: Most ground software and IT roles ask for computer science or equivalent experience. The space specifics, such as telemetry, commanding and launch operations, are learned on the job from the engineers and operators you build for.
Myth: Ground software matters less than flight software.
Reality: Ground tools send commands to spacecraft, decide what the factory builds next and keep launch networks up. Employers describe this software as mission-critical, and a ground mistake can cost as much as a flight bug.
Myth: IT at a space company is a remote desk job.
Reality: Many IT roles are based at launch complexes, test sites and factories and support live operations in person, with shifts, weekends and on-call duty around launches and tests.
What it pays
Software & IT work typically pays $135k–$265k/yr today, with a live median of $160k/yr across the 531 open roles that state their pay.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need aerospace experience to get a software job at a space company?
Usually not for ground software. Postings for application, mission and factory software ask for strong general engineering (backend services, web apps, databases, testing), and some say outright that aerospace experience is not required. What helps is showing you can learn a new field quickly and work closely with the people who use your tools. The guide on how to get a job in the space industry covers the wider search.
Can non-US citizens work in space ground software?
It is hard at most U.S. space companies. Their postings require U.S. person status (citizen, green card holder, refugee or asylee) because the software and data are export-controlled under ITAR or EAR, and roles on national security programs may also need a security clearance. The ITAR and security clearance guide explains what each term means and how employers apply it.
What are NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC, and why do space IT postings mention them?
NIST SP 800-171 is the federal set of security requirements for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information on systems outside the government. CMMC is the Defense Department's cybersecurity certification for contractors, and its Level 2 assessments follow NIST's 800-171 assessment procedures. Space companies with defense contracts need IT and security staff who can turn those controls into working configurations and collect the evidence that they are met.
How much do ground software and IT jobs in space pay?
It depends on the role (IT technician, systems administrator, software engineer, security engineer), the level and the location. The board lists 856 open ground software and IT roles today. For a comparison across kinds of space work, see space industry salaries.
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