Uplift and Competition: ULA’s Vulcan, Ariane 6, and how AI in recruiting is reshaping the aerospace workforce

In a recent Bloomberg Technology segment I joined, we broke down two milestone launches that matter for the future of launch markets and national security: United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket conducting its first national security mission, and Europe’s Ariane 6 completing its third mission ever. As someone who follows these launches closely, I want to walk you through what happened, why it matters, and an often overlooked piece of the puzzle: how talent and hiring—augmented today by AI in recruiting—are as critical to the space race as the rockets themselves.

Why these launches matter: context and immediate takeaways

Both Vulcan and Ariane 6 are in the same performance class as SpaceX’s Falcon 9. That similarity is important because Falcon 9 has dominated this class and has been launching at cadences measured in days. These two new-generation vehicles represent credible alternatives. They are still early in their operational lives—both are on their third missions—but their ascent signals choice for satellite operators and a diversification of capabilities that national security customers and commercial stakeholders value.

"This was the third launch for the Vulcan rocket...but it was their first national security mission, which is really what Vulcan was designed to do."

That quote captures the essence: Vulcan’s first national security launch was not just another flight. It was a certification milestone, a validation that the rocket met the stringent criteria required by the U.S. Department of Defense for carrying sensitive payloads. Certification doesn't come easy. In Vulcan's case, it required at least two successful flights to demonstrate reliability. A small anomaly on the second flight—a strap-on booster explosion—slowed the process but didn't stop it. The vehicle still reached orbit, questions were answered, and certification was granted in March. That clearance unlocked the door to national security launches that are lucrative and strategically important.

Vulcan’s path to certification: resilience and risk management

United Launch Alliance designed Vulcan to be a primary vehicle for the most sensitive defense and intelligence satellites. For national security payloads, risk tolerance is near zero. The Space Force and other agencies demand a baseline of reliability, third-party verification, and a predictable supply chain.

• Vulcan flew two demonstrator missions before its national security launch. The sequence of flights was intentionally conservative to build confidence.
• A strap-on booster failure on flight two illustrated both the uncertainties inherent to rocket development and ULA’s ability to manage anomalies. The vehicle still reached its planned orbit, and ULA made technical and procedural adjustments that satisfied certifying authorities.
• Certification in March was the turning point: national security missions can now be scheduled on Vulcan, expanding options beyond longstanding providers.

For operators, the takeaway is straightforward: a new credible launch option for sensitive missions increases competition, may reduce schedule bottlenecks, and provides redundancy—critical when space assets underpin modern defense systems.

Ariane 6: Europe’s bid for autonomy

Ariane 6’s third flight—like Vulcan’s—symbolizes Europe's effort to regain footing in global launch markets. Ariane 6 is Europe’s answer to being less dependent on other providers. The vehicle sits in the same general class as Falcon 9 and Vulcan, and its successful flights mean European governments and commercial customers have a homegrown alternative.

There’s political and strategic weight to this. For Europe, reliable access to space under sovereign control matters for telecommunications, earth observation, and defense. Ariane 6 advances that objective, and each successful flight reduces reliance on non-European launchers. However, Europe faces the same scaling challenge: ramping cadence to match demand and matching the rapid launch tempo set by established players.

Competition with SpaceX: cadence, cost, and trust

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has operated with a near-monopoly on launches in its class by virtue of frequent flights, lower prices, and a large manifest. New entrants face three obstacles:

1. Demonstrating reliability through repeated flights and transparent anomaly management.
2. Scaling production and operations to increase launch cadence and reduce per-launch overhead.
3. Winning long-term trust from commercial and government customers who need predictable timelines and contractual certainty.

Both Vulcan and Ariane 6 are making progress on the first item and are starting to prove the second. But cadence remains a challenge: while Falcon 9 can launch repeatedly every few days, Vulcan and Ariane 6 are still ramping up. Expect progress to be gradual but meaningful: more flights, more payloads, and a broader market over the next few years.

What this means for satellite operators and national security

More credible launchers mean better contingency planning for satellite operators. Practically, that manifests in:

• Improved booking options—operators can now look beyond one dominant provider when scheduling deployments.
• Potential for lower prices as competition increases and negotiation leverage improves.
• Reliability diversity—a crucial factor for defense customers that cannot afford systemic single-point dependencies.

It’s not an overnight revolution. Certification processes, manifest building, and insurance markets will take time to reflect these new options. But these launches are the first dominoes in a longer transition toward a more pluralistic launch market.

The human factor: talent, hiring, and why AI in recruiting matters

There’s a less visible but equally strategic element to successfully fielding new launch vehicles: people. Engineers, technicians, production managers, satellite integration specialists, regulatory experts—these roles are the scaffolding behind every successful lift-off. Growing and sustaining that workforce is a priority for any organization trying to increase its launch cadence.

That’s where AI in recruiting plays an outsized role. Aerospace companies are competing not just with each other but with other high-tech sectors for top talent. Time-to-fill, candidate quality, and cultural fit matter. By using AI in recruiting, organizations can:

• Quickly surface candidates with niche skill sets (propulsion systems, guidance and control, avionics) rather than relying on slow manual searches.
• Reduce bias in initial screening by evaluating competencies and experience against objective criteria.
• Accelerate the hiring pipeline with automated outreach, interview scheduling, and skill assessments—critical when the market demands rapid scaling.

AI in recruiting isn't a magic wand that solves workforce shortages overnight. It is a strategic amplifier. It helps recruiters and engineering managers find and engage talent faster, freeing technical leaders to focus on integration, testing, and anomaly resolution—the high-leverage work that improves mission success rates.

Real-world ways AI in recruiting helps space programs

Here are practical examples of how AI in recruiting is already influencing aerospace hiring:

• Skills mapping: AI systems can parse CVs, publications, and project histories to identify candidates with precise subsystem experience (e.g., cryogenic propulsion test campaigns or flight software verification).
• Talent pools: Predictive models help organizations know where to build local talent hubs, when to invest in training, and which partnerships with universities yield the best hires.
• Diversity and retention: AI-driven analytics help flag retention risks and identify patterns that correlate with longer tenure—crucial for retaining institutional knowledge during long development cycles.

In short, AI in recruiting helps convert a strategic staff plan into operational reality. As rockets and launchers multiply, the companies behind them must scale not only hardware production but also human capital pipelines.

Balancing technology, regulation, and national security

With national security payloads now authorized on Vulcan, we must consider how recruitment and workforce practices intersect with regulatory and security imperatives. Hiring for national security projects involves additional vetting, background checks, and sometimes security clearances. These steps add time to the hiring process. AI in recruiting can help by pre-screening for eligibility criteria and automating documentation workflows, helping clearance-capable hires move faster through the pipeline without compromising vetting standards.

Similarly, European efforts to build sovereignty into space access with Ariane 6 also rely on sustaining local skilled workforces. AI tools can help Europe target specialized training programs, identify skill gaps, and coordinate across national education systems to ensure a steady pipeline of aerospace engineers.

Looking ahead: what to watch next

Here are the factors I’ll be watching in the months and years ahead:

• Launch cadence growth for Vulcan and Ariane 6—how quickly they close the gap with Falcon 9 in frequency.
• Manifest diversification—whether commercial and international customers commit significant payloads to these vehicles.
• Certification extensions—if other defense and intelligence agencies broaden trust to these platforms.
• Workforce scale and quality—how well companies use tools such as AI in recruiting to staff up without sacrificing clearance timelines and technical competence.

Conclusion: rockets, people, and the systems that bind them

Vulcan’s first national security mission and Ariane 6’s continued flights are meaningful milestones. They expand options for satellite operators, add redundancy for national security space access, and signal healthy competition in a market long dominated by a single player. But rockets don’t fly on technology alone. They fly because of people—engineers, technicians, program managers, and support staff—who must be recruited, trained, and retained.

That’s why conversations about launch markets and national security increasingly include discussions about talent pipelines and about tools like AI in recruiting. When done thoughtfully, AI in recruiting accelerates how teams scale, reduces time-to-deployment, and helps ensure that the humans behind the hardware are equipped to keep complex systems safe, reliable, and mission-ready.

We’re entering a period where more launch options mean more flexibility and resilience for space programs worldwide. The hardware is essential, but the workforce and the systems that build and support it—augmented by AI in recruiting—will determine how fast, how safely, and how reliably we reach orbit in the years to come.