Space & mission operations

Satellite Operations Controller

Monitor spacecraft health, follow procedures and respond methodically to mission alerts.

Mission operations or ground-control centreBroad planning range: £32,000–£70,000+

What does a satellite operations controller do?

Satellite controllers monitor telemetry, schedule commands and support anomaly response from the ground. The work rewards procedural discipline, technical understanding and excellent communication.

Typical responsibilities

  • Monitor telemetry and system status
  • Execute approved command procedures
  • Respond to alerts and anomalies
  • Maintain mission logs and handovers
  • Coordinate with engineering and ground-station teams

Transferable skills

Procedure disciplineData interpretationCareful communicationShift reliabilityTechnical curiosity

A realistic route in

  1. 01

    Study operations-controller and ground-segment vacancies

  2. 02

    Build engineering, physics, software or technical-operations foundations

  3. 03

    Show experience with controlled procedures, monitoring and incident response

  4. 04

    Consider ground-station, support or junior mission roles

Reality check