Career Profiles

The Space Industry offers a wide variety of careers and opportunities.  You might be surprised at the variety of opportunities across maths, physics, chemistry, engineering and computing. Below you’ll find a number of career stories of people working in diverse areas of the Space sector.

Eibhlin Laffan Downes

Systems Engineer at Réaltra Space Systems Engineering

Bas Stijnen

PhD candidate at UCD Mechanics and Materials Engineering

Giovanni Franzini

Principal Research Engineer at Collins Aerospace

Maeve Doyle

Flight software & operations scientist - UCD

Aidan Duggan

PhD Student on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Space

Eimear O’Carroll

CTO and Co- Founder Lios

Des Gleeson

CEO at IntSatEx (International Satellite Exchange

Aubrey Dunne

Chief Technology Officer at Ubotica Technologies

Kiera Ward

Sports Scientist, Exercise Physiologist - EduFIT

Patrick Kavanagh

Astrophysicist - Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies

Niamh McDermott

Systems Engineer - Réaltra Space Systems Engineering

Lisa McNamee

Medical Officer - Irish Defence Forces

Rosie Cane

Outreach Lead - UKLSL

Heidi Thiemann 

Researcher/PhD student - Open University

Cian O’Regan

Human Factors PhD student - MTU

Bethany Downer

Chief Science Communications Officer - ESA

Giovanna Giardino

Instrument Scientist - European Space Agency

John E Ward

Space Product Manager - Réaltra Space Systems Engineering

Lauren McKeown

Post-doctoral Research Associate in Laboratory Astrophysics 

Evan Slattery

Business Developer with Aerospace Engineering - Skyrora Ltd

Aoife Murphy

Mechanical BIM Engineer - Jones Engineering Group

Laurence O’Rourke

Space scientist and engineer at ESA

Deirdre Kilbane

Head of Division of the Emerging Networks Laboratory- WIT

Thomas Ormston

Deputy Spacecraft Operations Manager for Sentinel-1 - ESOC

Cillian Murphy

Process Engineer- Pannonia Bio

Ines Juvan-Beaulieu

Astronomy and Quantum-Applications Specialist

Peter Griffith

Chief Support Scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centre

Claire Fitzgerald

Arup Senior Consultant - Advanced Digital Engineering Team

Conor Cahalane

Satellite Earth Observation - Maynooth University

Fátima Pinto

Education Office of the European Space Agency

Caroline El Khoury

University of Toronto – Research Scientist

Laci Brock

PhD candidate at the University of Arizona.

Maeve Murphy Quinlan

PhD Researcher in Planetary Science

Parshati Patel

Astrophysicist & Science Communicator

David Long

Research Fellow, Lecturer and Co-Principal Investigator

Tania Johnston

Head of European Southern Observatory Supernova

Róisín Commane

Asst Prof Earth & Environmental Sciences Columbia University

Juan Miro

Former Head of Engineering at ESA Satellite Control Centre

Leonie Buckley – Computer Engineer

Computer Engineer - Ubotica

Rachel Dunwoody

PhD student in the Space Science group in UCD

Jessica Erkal

PhD candidate in star formation and protostellar jets at UCD

Eóin Tuohy

Trainee at Spaceship EAC

Orla Punch

Architectural Designer

Hannah Currivan

Space Systems Engineer - Realtra Space Systems Engineering

Aisling Shannon

Structural Engineer, European Space Agency

Jan Walter Schroeder

Managing Director- CisLunar Industries S.A. and Sensoco GmbH

Dylan Carroll

Mechanical Design Engineer

Dr. Mariya Lyubenova

Astronomer, European Southern Observatory

Stephen Ennis

Ground Segment Engineer – European Astronaut Center

John O’Donoghue

CEO of Enbio

Sean Mooney

PhD Researcher at UCD

John Noone

Postgraduate Researcher

Barry Kavavangh

CEO of O.C.E. Technology

Dr. Caitriona Jackman

Associate Professor of Space Physics

Hayret Abdula

Functional Website Analyst and Strategist

Shane Carty

Software developer for Skytek Ltd

Lána Salmon

PhD student in the UCD Space Science Group

Tom O’Donoghue

Astrophotographer

Paul Higgins

Scientist and Science Communicator - Trinity College Dublin

Denver Humphry

Radio Frequency Engineer - Arralis

James Carton

Technology Director for Energy -Automative and AeroSpace Ltd

Janice Patterson

Spacecraft System Engineer - European Space Agency

Paolo Fiorini

Vice President of Operations - Enbio

Neil Murray 

Aerothermodynamics and Propulsion Design Engineer - ESA

Dominic Doyle

Senior Optical Engineer - European Space Agency

Mike Gleaves

CTO (Technical Director) - Arralis

Greg Johnson

President - the Advancement of Science in Space

Sam Franklin

Earth Observation Specialist at Archangel Imaging

Jason Spyromilio

Senior Astronomer at the European Southern Observatory

Megan Walsh

Mechanical Engineer at Taoglas USA

Joe Flanagan

PhD Researcher at University College Dublin & Enbio Ltd

Andela Zaric

Taoglas Ltd. In Subsidiary Taoglas GmbH in Munich, Germany a

Chris Anderson

Chief Technology Officer for Taoglas

Dr Sophie Murray

Research Fellow in the Astrophysics Research Group, Trinity

Jesper Pedersen

Managing Director of Pedersen Focus Ltd, Cork

Karen O’Flaherty

Science Communicator at the European Space Agency

Liam Kenny

Arralis Ltd. Product Design & Manufacturing Engineer

Niamh Shaw

Steam Artist, Performer, Science Communicator.

Dr. Norah Pattern

Space Enthusiast and Researcher - IComp

Jonathan Faull

Space Social Media and Communications

David Chamberlain

Senior Systems Engineer at Curtiss-Wright

Niamh O’Keeffe

Project manager with Mallon Technology

Sinead O’Sullivan

CEO of Fusion Space Technologies

Aidan Cowley

European Space Agency-Research Fellow

Ivan Semeniuk

Science Reporter for Canada's National Newspaper

David Gibbons

Manager – ESA Space Solutions Centre Ireland.

Dr. Michaela Musilova

Senior Research Advisor for Mission Control Space Services

Claire FitzGerald

Founding Director of Mapsphere Ltd.

Rory Fitzpatrick

Chief Executive Officer of the National Space Centre, Cork

Rory Scarrott

Research Assistant at University College Cork’s MaREI Centre

Ruth McAvinia

APPEC Communications and Outreach Co-ordinator

Elaine Kelly

Mechanical Design Engineer

Owen Hughes

Manufacturing Technician

Ronan Wall

Programme Manager

Jenny Hanafin

Earth Observation and Modelling Manager at TechWorks Marine,

Emmet O’Brien

Manufacturing Test Engineer.

Daniel Vagg

System Architect

Colm Coughlan

Postdoc Research Fellow at School of Cosmic Physics ,DIAS

Rosa Doran

Astronomy Educator at NUCLIO / GHOU / Portuguese Astronomica

Adrian Collins

Researcher at CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory

Career Videos

If you are interested in finding out more about working in Space related career, check out our series of videos featuring Irish people working in this area.

Space Industry

A growing number of Irish companies are developing products and services that will support the European Space programme and that can also be made available on the global market.

Ireland’s membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) has allowed Irish Industry to develop highly advanced technologies with extremely high levels of performance and reliability required for space systems. There are currently about 50 Irish companies, mostly small to medium sized enterprises, working with ESA, and in some cases also with other space agencies such as NASA.

Irish space companies cover a wide range of technology areas including; spacecraft avionic, electronic components, software for spacecraft control and human spaceflight, advanced materials and structures for satellites and launch vehicle, space propulsion, optoelectronic devices for satellites, and biomedical instruments for human spaceflight. Irish companies are also developing technologies and products for the commercial satellite end user market.

Innovative technologies
Irish companies have demonstrated an ability to bring highly innovative technologies to the commercial space market, in many cases developed in collaboration with Irish universities and ressearch institutes. Irish companies have also shown a strong capacity to adapt space technologies for non-space markets such as aerospace, biomedical and telecommunications.

Companies working in the space programme and market employ people with a range of skills including technical, business development, marketing, finance and legal expertise. Given the highly technical nature of space work, there is a strong demand for technical expertise in science, mathematics and engineering.

The range of technology disciplines required can be quite wide, depening on each companies specific area of activity and can include mechanical, mechatronic, electrical, biomedical, communications and software engineering, as well as basic science such as physics, chemistry, biology and maths.