A career in Space

[spggodd]

Hi,

I am currently a mechanical engineer working for a large aerospace company with 8 years experience. I am currently also doing a part-time degree in Mechanical Engineering. (Note: This is not a homework/student post!)

I have a burning desire to get involved with a company who are at the forefront of the Space industry. It's a passion I have and something I would really like to work at. In my current situation under contract I remain at my current company until I complete my degree but I want to start looking and understanding what options there are for me.

Can anybody advice where I should be looking, the route I should be taking (direct emplyoment, graduate program etc..).

I appreciate the advice you can offer.

Thanks

 

[JohnRBaker]

While I'm not sure exactly how many opportunties there are for jobs "in Space", I am sure that there's a lot more openings down here on the ground, particularly with someone like...

http://www.spacex.com/

...who has been in the news recently and who, based on their recent success, appears to be hiring, at least that would seem to be the case if you look at their Careers link (BTW, I know several of the 'faces' from that photo on the 'Careers' page as I've worked with many of these people over the years, both during their tenure at Space-X and at the various other organizations that they've come from whom we have also dealt with in the past).

John R. Baker, P.E.
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[urgross]

I would recommend contacting Newt Gingrich, as he has ambitions of being the mayor of the moon.

 

[IRstuff]

Obviously, the hottest companies in that arena are SpaceX and Orbital Sciences for the Space Station supply contract. But, that's a bit of a limited playing field.

TTFN
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[KENAT]

Hang on, what about the folks that make the things that the glamorous rockets actually put into space?

Plus there's still several military space launchers.

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[JohnRBaker]

Yea, like JPL. Now they design and build some cool stuff indeed (and I know a bunch of guys who work there as well):

[URL unfurl="true"]http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm[/url]


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[patprimmer]

Move to China?

Regards
Pat
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[Twoballcane]

If space is your passion, then why not get an Aerospace Degree? However, the jobs for this are very limited. I know guys who has there Aerospace Degrees from MIT and working on other than what they studied. But, the Mechanical Engineering degree coupled with your experience will open up more doors for the peripheral work (electronic packaging, cooling/heating, dynamics, structural, etc) that goes into getting planes and shuttles in to air and space (respectively).

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”

 

[spggodd]

Firstly, thank you for all of your feedback, specially Twoballcane.

Just to clear up a few queries, when I say "Job in Space", I meant within the Space industry. I work in an aerospace company but I want to work on something that reaches a bit further, tackles the unknown and has greater challenges.

Mechanical/Aerospace - If I had the choice again I may have opted for Aerospace, however my main reason for choosing Mechanical Engineering at the time was to get a broader knowledge of engineering (mechanically) as I thought an Aerospace degree may have the potential to limit me slightly.

I am also in the UK and have already contacted NASA regarding this issue, the answer is that I will need USA Citizenship but NASA occasionally use international sub-contractors.

SpaceX are the type of company that seem appealing to me, also the ESA and UK based space companies.

Oh and I'm not sure I look the part for the Chinese space program..!

 

[Twoballcane]

Well, NASA's budget has been cut and does not have their shuttle program anymore. I doubt if there is any funding for any engineers without their PHd in engineering. However, can you expand your job prospects to satellites, intercontinental ballistic missiles, drones, etc? There are many defense contractors that are international that do this kind of work.

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”

 

[KENAT]

spggodd, I got my aerospace systems degree in the UK, however an aerospace degree isn't just about 'space stuff' it's just a slightly broader aero degree - at least in the UK.

You'll want to check out places like Astrium & Surrey satellites in the UK, but you probably already know that.

The USA citizenship issue for working in US aerospace/defense is a big deal. Typically you need to not just get the citizenship but also renounce any other citizenship. Even then having a bunch of friends and family from another country can make it painful.

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