Shortage of Skilled Workers to Rebuild U.S. Military Space Infrastructure
A recent RAND study, released on August 31, highlights a critical shortfall in the U.S. workforce, specifically engineers, technicians, and assemblers, necessary for reconstructing military space assets if they were to be destroyed in a conflict with nations like China or Russia.
The report, titled “Breaking Glass, Missing Hands,” investigates the feasibility of replacing satellites and associated systems swiftly if they were lost in an extended conflict. It suggests that restoring these capabilities could ideally take 12 to 24 months—a significantly shorter period compared to the decade often required to replace aging satellites.
The analysis focuses on whether the space defense sector’s industrial base could achieve this reconstitution between 2027 and 2032. The authors indicate that the current gaps in the workforce could take years to bridge, making the rapid timeline challenging to meet.
General Michael Guetlein, currently heading the Golden Dome, endorsed the study while he was the vice chief of space operations. The research was conducted by RAND Project AIR FORCE as part of a fiscal 2024 initiative named “In Emergency, Break Glass,” led by Alexandra Gerber.
The researchers drew on federal labor and education data spanning from October 2024 to March 2025 and conducted interviews with industry and educational leaders between May and July 2025.
Workforce Categorization
The workforce supporting space operations is divided into three main categories by the report.
The first category includes engineers responsible for designing and testing space systems. Out of approximately 3 million American engineers requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher, only about 3% are employed in sectors directly supporting space, such as satellite communications, semiconductors, and the production of non-metallic mineral products like optical glass. Notably, aerospace manufacturing is not included in this subset.
The report estimates that these specific industries contribute just 7,000 to the 208,000 annual engineering job openings. The space sector struggles to compete with more lucrative fields like artificial intelligence, software development, and data analytics, which offer higher salaries and more flexible working conditions.
The second category, termed “skilled touch labor,” includes technicians and assemblers who physically construct spacecraft. The study used 2023 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to estimate about 30,000 annual job openings for technicians, with only about 11,000 individuals obtaining the necessary qualifications each year.
For assemblers, including those working in cleanrooms, there are approximately 244,000 job openings annually, but only 13,000 qualified individuals, creating a significant shortfall. The space industry competes for these workers with other sectors, such as semiconductor manufacturing.
The third category includes specialists in fields like infrared and electro-optical detection and engineers who design systems to withstand natural and man-made radiation. These roles typically require advanced degrees, and developing the necessary expertise can take over 15 years.
Advanced degrees in relevant fields like laser and optical engineering are scarce, and many specialists are trained in electrical or computer engineering instead. A significant portion of these degrees is awarded to foreign nationals, who often are not eligible for classified projects due to security requirements.
Security clearances present another hurdle, significantly slowing down hiring processes. A Trusted Workforce 2.0 report cited by RAND indicated that initial investigations for Secret clearances took over 87 days, and Top Secret clearances nearly six months in fiscal 2024.
Interviewees also noted that even fully credentialed workers could take up to a year to become fully productive, with limitations such as cleanroom capacities and secure work areas further slowing the integration of new hires.
The primary challenge identified is the difficulty of ramping up from inactivity. Without consistent production, specialized skills deteriorate and experienced workers may leave, taking valuable institutional knowledge with them. RAND suggests that including surge-planning in future contracts could help companies prepare for rapid expansion in times of crisis.
There was skepticism among those interviewed about the feasibility of emergency mobilization using Defense Production Act authorities to transfer workers from other industries, due to the challenges posed by security clearances, certifications, and specific domain knowledge.
RAND proposes allocating approximately $5 million annually for scholarships, internships, and academic outreach, along with an $800,000 study to explore the potential for retraining workers from other fields for surge production.
The report also recommends expanding the National Imperative for Industrial Skills program and considering the Navy’s Talent Pipeline Program as a model for other trades. Another suggestion is to allow graduates of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and recipients of SMART scholarships to fulfill service obligations by working in qualifying space firms.
The responsibility for addressing these workforce issues is assigned to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, framing it as a supply-chain and production risk rather than a staffing issue within the Space Force itself.
While the report notes the potential benefits of automation in reducing labor hours per satellite, it acknowledges that most space manufacturers operate at too low a volume to justify such investments, though a surge in reconstitution efforts might alter this calculation.
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Jamal Peterson reports on defense, aerospace, and tech policy. With a military background and a strategic mind, he dissects complex subjects with clarity, offering readers sharp, reliable insights.
