Aim high: careers in space
Does today’s space industry still have the can-do attitude of the 1960s, when NASA landed the first astronauts on the Moon?
By Mark Williamson
Despite all the publicity and despite the Internet, space science, engineering and technology are poorly understood among the general public. People remember little beyond the fabled Moon missions and the Space Shuttle disasters, and confuse science fiction with what has actually been achieved in space. This makes it hard to find reliable careers advice…but read on!
Job opportunities
Apart from the handful of jobs actually done in space, there are two main avenues: science and engineering. To decide between them, it is worth remembering the words of rocket propulsion pioneer Theodore von Kármán: “The scientist describes what is; the engineer creates what never was.”
In a nutshell, a space scientist discovers more about the universe using spaceborne instruments, while a space engineer designs and realises those instruments and the spacecraft which carry them. There is overlap between the two, because the scientist should know what is possible with current technology, while the engineer must understand the science to create an instrument to do the job.
This blurring of the lines between space scientists and space engineers sometimes makes it difficult to tell the difference – indeed, they may even have exactly the same initial qualifications – but ultimately, von Kármán’s definition applies. Someone who chooses space science will typically apply to research laboratories, universities and similar bodies for employment, and may begin their career as an astronomer or astrophysicist. The budding space engineer will typically apply to industrial companies, consultancies or a government space agency. However, industry is also interested in people with academic backgrounds and universities need experienced engineers.
What, then, are the academic qualifications needed? The answer hasn’t changed much in the Space Age’s five decades. For the majority of posts you need a first degree in physics, maths or engineering, although there are opportunities for apprentices and technicians. The actual coverage of the degree course will skew your academic knowledge one way or another, presumably in line with your interests, but this need not exclude you from a given career. Often more important is your ability to learn new things and your attitude towards professional development.
Space industry
Let’s take the spacecraft design and construction industry. It needs engineers of almost all varieties: electrical, electronic, radiofrequency, power, propulsion, structural, mechanical and thermal, as well as those versed in basic physics and maths.
Ben Boyes is an avionics and software engineer with EADSAstrium, based in Stevenage, who studied general engineering at Cambridge, and specialised in electronic systems. He agrees that degree content is more about indicating the suitability of candidates than preparing them for specific jobs. “Indeed,” he says, “with the breadth of engineering jobs available it would be almost impossible to do that”.
There are a similar number of jobs at technician/apprentice level. They typically involve working in cleanroom environments, either building or helping to test space-qualified equipment. Indeed, much to the chagrin of many a space engineer, it is the technicians who actually get to build the spacecraft. Ben points
out, however, that engineers also work with hardware in development labs, so “it’s not just sitting behind PCs in offices”.
Ben works on the ExoMars rover project, which is part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Aurora exploration programme. In 2004, ESA awarded EADS a €900k study to define a rover capable of searching for life on the Martian surface. Ben manages and coordinates equipment subcontracts across Europe in preparation for integration into a complete rover prototype. “I also oversee the R&D work that we do to support the project,” he says.
He divides his time between subcontract management for the ExoMars rover, “which involves a lot of emails, teleconferences and travelling”, and lab work on the company’s own prototype rover. “Developing the code and electronics on this allows us to assess new technologies before considering them for the ExoMars project.”
Graduates often ask about the level of responsibility they can expect in their first job, fearing it will be years before they are allowed to ‘do anything interesting’. Obviously, the degree of responsibility will depend on the individual’s capabilities, performance and attitude, but you should certainly expect to be doing ‘real work’ as soon as your induction period is over, albeit under close guidance. Most firms don’t have time and money to waste in giving you mundane tasks; they want you to be productive as soon as possible.
Ben, now 26, believes that “as soon as you show what you are capable of, most companies will recognise this and give responsibility accordingly”.
The space industry is international in nature, mainly because no individual company – or country – can do everything. As a result, UK space engineers get the chance to travel, usually within Europe but sometimes further afield.
Dream job
While Ben Boyes enjoys the technical design work, which is both “interesting and challenging”, the thought that he is working towards the exploration of another planet is “a great motivator”. As the controllers of NASA’s Mars rovers say, they drive to Pasadena in the morning, but they work on Mars!
Many consider a job in the space industry as much a ‘calling’ as a career. Ben, for example, has been interested in space for as long as he can remember. “It’s the fact that so little is known about it that makes me fascinated to learn more,” he says. “Working in a career that allows me to be one of the drivers behind this exploration is literally my dream job.”
There is a common misapprehension that ‘space is done by NASA’ and predominantly in the USA, as Ben confirms. “The space industry in the UK seems to be a bit of a secret,” he says. “Why this is, I don’t know, though I expect that government spending levels [which are relatively low] have a lot to do with it.” He is optimistic for the future, however, because “things are changing” and “the profile of UK space companies is being raised”.
It is unlikely that non-US residents will get jobs with NASA, and the American space agency should not be seen as the ultimate goal, since equally rewarding careers can be had with ESA or in industry. And, apart from Astrium, there are opportunities for space scientists and engineers throughout the UK. You could end up developing ion propulsion or researching orbital debris at QinetiQ, for example, or working on imaging satellites at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), the world’s leading small satellite manufacturer. The box [right] provides some useful weblinks to get you started.
A good tip, for those whose world begins and ends on the Web, is to invest in a little travel before you choose your first employer. Not so much a gap year, but a day trip to the Farnborough Air Show in July 2008, or the Paris Air Show the following June. The accompanying exhibitions, staged in several huge halls, feature many of the world’s leading space systems companies, only too pleased to help with careers advice. And this year, the annual International Astronautical Congress (www.iac2008.co.uk/) will be held in Glasgow from 29 September to 3 October, and many students are expected to attend the conference and exhibition.
Such conferences allow engineers, scientists, policy analysts, space lawyers and artists to meet and exchange ideas, present papers and generally contribute to this exciting profession. Indeed, a visit to the IAC brings the broad potential of a career in space into true perspective. Although there aren’t too many openings for astronauts today, current developments in Moon and Mars exploration and in the nascent industry of space tourism offer almost unlimited possibilities for the future.
Even today, interesting and well-paid careers are available in anything from space station design to satellite insurance. You could even realise gainful employment as a space technology consultant and writer … but, please, don’t all rush at once!
Mark Williamson is a space technology consultant and writer. His book, Spacecraft Technology: The Early Years, was published by the IET in 2006.
Further information
For links to information on anything from space agencies and satellite operators to launch vehicle suppliers and spacecraft manufacturers:
- www.satellite-links.co.uk
- www.space-careers.com
Look also at the dedicated websites of the following organisations:
- European Space Agency: www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Careers_at_ESA/
- British National Space Centre (BNSC): www.bnsc.gov.uk
- British Interplanetary Society: www.bisspaceflight.com/societyA.htm
- Royal Aeronautical Society/RAeS Space Group: www.raes.org.uk/space/specialist_group.htm
Find out more about UK academia’s involvement with space research at the University of Leicester’s Space Research Centre (SRC) www.src.le.ac.uk
Find out about organisations that promote space education at the Space Education Council (SEC): www.secuk.org
If you would like to become a member of a space-related organisation look at United Kingdom Students for the Exploration and Development of Space UK (SEDS) www.uk.seds.org