DURHAM – The commercial space company Sierra Space, with a campus in Durham, announced this week that it plans to hire as many as 1,000 workers in its facilities across the country.
Those workers would join the more than 1,100 employees the company already has on payroll, and the company in its announcement noted that it plans “an extensive recruitment drive that will see the company significantly increase its headcount by nearly doubling its labor force and creating 1,000 net new jobs this year.”
Though the majority of the positions will be located in Colorado, where the company is headquartered, there will also be an increase in the company’s existing facilities.
“Sierra Space has an incredibly important mission to build in space the next platform for business,” said Tom Vice, Sierra Space CEO. “Space affords a unique environment where new technological breakthroughs will be born and directly enhance our life on Earth.”
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The company is expanding after raising $1.4 billion in capital in a Series A round in 2021, which the company noted would accelerate the development of its Dream Chaser spaceplane, described as “the world’s only orbital commercial spaceplane,” in a statement from the company.
Sierra Space announced in October 2021 that it had plans to collaborate with Blue Origin to build an ‘orbital reef’ in space. Such a reef could act as a spaceport for commercial spaceplanes, the companies noted in October.
And the company participated in the slimmed-down Consumer Electronics Show in January 2022 touting the Dream Chaser.
According to the company’s careers website, there are 10 open positions in Durham, including roles in engineering, design, business analysis, and production.
“Sierra Space is at the doorstep of unlocking this next generation of space, led by the launch of our Dream Chaser spaceplane,” said Vice. “We are seeking the brightest minds who are inspired by our mission and pioneering spirit to join us at Sierra Space.”
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