SpaceX Long Beach in 2026: Marine Operations, Manufacturing, and the Aerospace Hub Next Door
SpaceX Long Beach is one of the lesser-known but operationally vital facilities in SpaceX's network. Located at the Port of Long Beach in Southern California, this site supports marine recovery operations, fairing processing, and has served as a staging area for Starship-related work. For job seekers, Long Beach also sits in the heart of Southern California's growing aerospace corridor, with Rocket Lab, Relativity Space, and several other space companies operating within minutes of each other.
This guide covers what SpaceX does at its Long Beach facility, what jobs are available, how the surrounding aerospace ecosystem creates additional opportunities, and what it is like to live and work in the Long Beach area in 2026.
SpaceX's Long Beach Operations
SpaceX's Long Beach presence is tied directly to the Port of Long Beach, one of the busiest seaports in the Western Hemisphere. The facility supports several critical operations:
Marine Recovery Operations
SpaceX operates a fleet of recovery vessels out of the Port of Long Beach, including drone ships used for Falcon 9 first-stage landings at sea. The marine operations team handles:
- Drone ship maintenance and upgrades — Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ships (ASDS) like "Of Course I Still Love You" and "A Shortfall of Gravitas" are serviced and deployed from Long Beach
- Fairing recovery — After Falcon 9 launches, payload fairings are recovered from the ocean and brought back to Long Beach for refurbishment
- Vessel crew operations — Support boats, tug operators, and sea-based recovery crews
Fairing Processing and Refurbishment
Recovered payload fairings are brought to the Long Beach facility for inspection, cleaning, refurbishment, and certification for reuse. Each fairing half is worth approximately $3 million, making refurbishment a significant cost-saving operation. The team processes fairings from dozens of missions per year.
Starship-Related Work
Long Beach has been involved in various Starship support activities, including prototype component work and logistics staging. The port's heavy-lift capability makes it useful for transporting oversized Starship hardware between facilities.
Jobs at SpaceX Long Beach
The Long Beach facility employs a mix of marine operations staff, manufacturing technicians, and engineers. The workforce is smaller than Hawthorne (which is only about 15 miles north) but offers distinct roles you will not find elsewhere in SpaceX.
Marine Operations Roles
- Marine Engineers — Maintain and upgrade the drone ships and support vessels. Experience with ship systems, diesel engines, hydraulics, and marine electrical systems. Salary: $85K–$130K
- Recovery Technicians — Deploy with the fleet to recover boosters and fairings at sea. Must be comfortable working on the ocean for multi-day operations. Salary: $60K–$95K
- Marine Deck Officers / Crew — Vessel operation roles including captains, mates, and deckhands. USCG licensing required for officer positions. Salary: $70K–$120K
Manufacturing and Refurbishment
- Composite Technicians — Fairing refurbishment involves inspecting and repairing carbon fiber composite structures. Experience with composite layup, autoclave processing, and NDI (non-destructive inspection) is essential. Salary: $55K–$85K
- Production Engineers — Optimize fairing refurbishment processes, reduce turnaround time, and improve quality control. Salary: $95K–$145K
- Quality Inspectors — Certify refurbished fairings for flight. Requires knowledge of aerospace quality standards (AS9100). Salary: $65K–$95K
Support and Logistics
- Supply Chain and Logistics — Coordinate shipment of hardware between Long Beach, Hawthorne, McGregor, Cape Canaveral, and Starbase. Port logistics experience is a plus. Salary: $75K–$115K
- Operations Managers — Oversee facility operations, scheduling, and workforce coordination. Salary: $110K–$160K
| Role | Salary Range | Requirements | Unique to Long Beach? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Engineer | $85K–$130K | Marine engineering background, ship systems | Yes |
| Recovery Technician | $60K–$95K | Physical fitness, ocean comfort, mechanical skills | Yes |
| Composite Technician | $55K–$85K | Composite repair, NDI certification | Mostly |
| Production Engineer | $95K–$145K | BS ME/AE, lean manufacturing | No |
| Supply Chain/Logistics | $75K–$115K | Port/freight logistics experience | Partially |
The Long Beach Aerospace Ecosystem
What makes Long Beach particularly attractive for space industry professionals is the concentration of aerospace companies in the area. If you relocate to Long Beach for SpaceX, you are also within easy reach of multiple other employers:
Rocket Lab — Long Beach HQ
Rocket Lab's US headquarters and primary manufacturing facility is in Long Beach. The company builds its Electron and Neutron rockets here, along with spacecraft components. Rocket Lab employs over 500 people in Long Beach and regularly hires aerospace engineers, production technicians, and avionics specialists. Browse Rocket Lab careers on Zero G Talent.
Relativity Space — Long Beach
Relativity Space operates its Stargate factory in Long Beach, where it uses the world's largest metal 3D printers to build its Terran R rocket. The company is pioneering additive manufacturing for aerospace and hires heavily in materials science, robotics, and software engineering.
Other Nearby Companies
- Virgin Orbit (formerly Long Beach, now wound down, but its alumni remain in the area)
- Vast — Building the Haven-1 commercial space station, with offices in the greater LA area
- Boeing — Satellite manufacturing in El Segundo, about 20 minutes north
- Northrop Grumman — Space Park facility in Redondo Beach, approximately 15 miles away
How to Apply for SpaceX Long Beach Positions
SpaceX Long Beach roles are posted on the company's careers portal, often listed under "Long Beach, CA" or sometimes "Los Angeles Metro." On Zero G Talent, you can search all SpaceX positions and filter by California locations.
Marine operations roles are among the most unique in SpaceX's entire job catalog. They attract candidates from:
- US Coast Guard and Navy veterans — Deck officers, marine engineers, and hull technicians
- Commercial maritime industry — Merchant mariners, offshore oil and gas workers, port operations staff
- Aerospace composites sector — Technicians from Boeing, Northrop Grumman, or other composite-heavy manufacturers
Living in Long Beach
Long Beach is the seventh-largest city in California, with a population of about 460,000. It combines urban amenities, beach access, and a working port town character that sets it apart from the rest of the LA metro.
Housing
Long Beach is more affordable than Santa Monica, West LA, or even nearby Hawthorne:
- Median home price: ~$720K (compared to $780K+ in Hawthorne)
- One-bedroom apartment: $1,600–$2,200/month
- Two-bedroom apartment: $2,100–$2,900/month
Neighborhoods like Belmont Shore, Naples, and the East Village offer walkable access to restaurants, shops, and the beach. Signal Hill and Lakewood are nearby suburbs with lower rents.
Transportation
Long Beach is well-connected via the I-710, I-405, and the Metro A Line (light rail to downtown LA). The commute to SpaceX's Hawthorne facility is about 20–35 minutes depending on traffic, making it easy to collaborate with the main campus. Long Beach Airport (LGB) offers convenient domestic flights.
Lifestyle
The city has a vibrant food scene, a growing arts district, and direct waterfront access. The Queen Mary is docked permanently in Long Beach Harbor. For outdoor recreation, there is the Long Beach Shoreline, Catalina Island (a 1-hour ferry), and numerous cycling and running paths along the coast.
| Living Factor | Long Beach | Hawthorne | El Segundo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median 1BR Rent | $1,900/mo | $2,000/mo | $2,200/mo |
| Median Home Price | $720K | $780K | $1.1M |
| Beach Access | Direct | 10 min drive | 5 min walk |
| Space Companies | SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Relativity | SpaceX HQ | Boeing, L3Harris |
| Transit to LA | Metro A Line (45 min) | Green Line (30 min) | Green Line (25 min) |
Career Paths from Long Beach
SpaceX Long Beach roles can serve as stepping stones within the company:
- Marine Ops → Launch Ops — Recovery crew members sometimes transition to ground operations at Cape Canaveral or Vandenberg
- Fairing refurbishment → Hawthorne production — Composite technicians and production engineers can move to the main Falcon 9 or Dragon manufacturing lines
- Logistics → Supply Chain management — SpaceX's global supply chain needs experienced coordinators who understand port operations and heavy transport
For those interested in exploring beyond SpaceX, the Long Beach aerospace cluster means you can pursue roles at Rocket Lab, Relativity Space, or others without changing your address.
Start Your Search
Whether you are a marine engineer looking for a career change into aerospace, a composite technician seeking high-volume refurbishment work, or an engineer wanting to be in the heart of Southern California's space corridor, SpaceX Long Beach offers something distinct.
Browse SpaceX jobs on Zero G Talent and filter for California locations. You can also explore manufacturing and production roles or check out all space industry jobs in California to see the full range of opportunities in the region.
Long Beach is where rockets come home from the sea — and where your space career could take off.
