Impel Talent partnered with The Exploration Company to secure mission-critical engineering talent for the development of NYX, Europe’s reusable space vehicle, attracting elite aerospace professionals from leading global space organisations and supporting the company’s ambitious roadmap for both the NYX and STORM programmes.  

Client Overview 

The Exploration Company is one of Europe’s fastest-growing aerospace companies, building a full-stack space transportation platform designed to expand access to space. At the heart of its vision is NYX, a reusable orbital vehicle engineered to transport cargo, and eventually crew, to low Earth orbit and beyond. Alongside NYX, the company is developing STORM, a high-thrust reusable rocket engine designed to strengthen Europe’s sovereign space capabilities.  

With operations spanning multiple European locations and an ambitious development timeline, The Exploration Company is assembling a world-class engineering organisation capable of delivering advanced spacecraft, propulsion systems, avionics, flight software, materials technology, and future launch capabilities. NYX has been designed with reusable systems, proprietary avionics and flight software, docking capabilities, and advanced thermal protection technologies that position the company at the forefront of next-generation space transportation. 

The Challenge 

As The Exploration Company accelerated development of the NYX spacecraft, the organisation faced the challenge of securing highly specialised engineering talent in one of the world’s most competitive industries. 

The requirement was not simply to fill positions. These were business-critical hires responsible for developing systems that would directly contribute to the success of future flight missions and programme milestones. 

The company needed experienced aerospace professionals with proven expertise in: 

• Flight software development 

• Avionics systems engineering 

• Materials and process engineering 

• Spacecraft integration and testing 

• Reusable vehicle development 

• Launch and mission-critical systems 

Competition for this talent was intense. Many of the most qualified candidates were already employed by industry leaders such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Sierra Space, Rocket Lab, Airbus Defence & Space, ArianeGroup, Relativity Space, and other leading commercial and government space organisations. 

In addition to identifying exceptional technical talent, the challenge required convincing candidates to relocate internationally to join an emerging European space company and contribute to the development of a programme with global significance. 

Our Approach 

Impel Talent was engaged in September 2025 to support key strategic hiring initiatives across the organisation, focusing on securing elite engineering talent capable of accelerating delivery of the NYX programme. 

To achieve this, we: 

• Built a dedicated aerospace search strategy focused on the world’s leading commercial space and advanced aerospace organisations. 

• Mapped global talent pools across North America, Europe, and emerging space technology hubs to identify engineers with direct spacecraft and launch vehicle experience. 

• Targeted candidates from organisations including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Sierra Space, Rocket Lab, Airbus, ArianeGroup, and other high-performance aerospace employers. 

• Delivered a highly personalised engagement and relocation approach, highlighting the unique opportunity to contribute to Europe’s next generation of reusable spaceflight capability. 

• Engaged passive candidates who were not actively seeking new opportunities but were motivated by the opportunity to help shape a landmark space programme. 

• Provided strategic market intelligence, competitor benchmarking, and talent insights to support decision-making throughout the hiring process. 

Rather than focusing on active applicants alone, we concentrated on accessing the rare and difficult-to-reach talent responsible for delivering some of the world’s most advanced launch vehicles, spacecraft, and aerospace systems. 

The Impact

Within the first phase of the partnership, Impel Talent successfully completed several high-priority engineering hires that were critical to the ongoing development of NYX:

• Principal Avionics Engineer
• Materials & Process Engineering Lead
• Senior Flight Software Engineer
• Principal / Team Lead Flight Software
• Director of Flight Software

These appointments strengthened core engineering functions responsible for spacecraft systems, flight control, hardware integration, and vehicle reliability. 

By leveraging global talent mapping, targeted executive search methodologies, and specialist aerospace market expertise, Impel Talent delivered candidates from the upper tier of the international aerospace market, helping The Exploration Company secure capabilities that are both rare and highly sought after. 

The successful completion of these roles established the foundation for an ongoing partnership, with Impel Talent now engaged across additional critical positions supporting future milestones within both the NYX spacecraft programme and the STORM propulsion programme.  

Beyond individual hires, we continue to support broader organisational growth by providing access to specialist engineering talent across the product development and space systems supply chain, enabling the company to scale towards future mission objectives. 

Project Highlights 

• 🚀 Mission-critical engineering hires delivered for the NYX programme 

• 🌍 International talent sourced from multiple global aerospace hubs 

• 🎯 Targeted search across elite space organisations including SpaceX, Blue Origin and Sierra Space 

• 🛰️ Successful placements in Avionics, Flight Software and Materials Engineering 

• 🔥 Ongoing engagement supporting both NYX and STORM development programmes 

• ⚡ Access to highly specialised talent pools unavailable through traditional recruitment channels 

Our Expertise in Action 

This project demonstrates Impel Talent’s capability to support high-growth aerospace organisations developing transformational technologies and operating at the cutting edge of innovation. 

Our strengths include: 

• Global Aerospace Talent Mapping: Identifying and engaging specialist engineers across commercial space, defence, aviation, and advanced technology sectors. 

• Mission-Critical Search Delivery: Securing talent whose expertise directly impacts programme performance, safety, and delivery milestones. 

• Cross-Border Recruitment & Relocation: Mobilising international talent and supporting relocation into key European innovation hubs. 

• Strategic Talent Partnerships: Acting as an extension of internal hiring teams to support long-term workforce planning and growth. 

• High-Impact Engineering Recruitment: Providing access to rare professionals with experience in reusable spacecraft, launch systems, avionics, flight software, propulsion, and advanced materials. 

Through this partnership, The Exploration Company continues to strengthen its engineering capability as it advances the development of NYX, Europe’s next-generation reusable space vehicle, and STORM, its high-thrust reusable rocket engine programme, helping shape the future of accessible, sustainable, and globally competitive space transportation.