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YOU CAN BE AN ASTRONOMER OR ASTRONAUT PIONEERS IN AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY |
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YOU CAN BE AN ASTRONOMER OR ASTRONAUT PIONEERS IN AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY |
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 We are at the beginning of a brand new century. From the depths of the oceans to the outer reaches of space, we will explore and discover places and phenomena we can barely imagine today. Advancing technologies will help us bridge horizons to go where no Earthly human has ever gone. In the new millennium, we will be much like the ancient astronomers and mariners who laid down the foundations of our current knowledge of the heavens and the Earth. We will explore new galaxies and visit other planets. Yes, that is exactly where we are eventually headed - to other worlds. It will take the combined talents of engineers, astronauts, astrophysicists, cosmologists, computer scientists, meteorologists, researchers, scientists and so many others to get us there. That is the direction we are headed in and plans for more unmanned space flights followed by manned interplanetary space flights are on the drawing boards. Would you like to be a part of this effort? Are you curious to find out if we are alone in the universe? Did you know that our solar system is almost five billion years old? Scientists have calculated a theory that the origins of the universe began with a "Big Bang" some 11-15 billion years ago. NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Origins Program will be searching the heavens to find our cosmic roots, including answers to:
For at least the next two decades, NASA will call upon their best engineers and scientists along with those in academia and industry to help develop the technology for "putting in space a succession of sophisticated telescopes each building on scientific and technological achievements of prior missions. Augmented with ground-based observatories and research and analysis, NASA's Origins Program will give our civilization a better sense of the universe around us and our place in it." This is just one of the many new and exciting projects that will take us into strange, unfamiliar territory and fascinations that truly represent the unknown. Imagine how far we have come since the turn into the 20th century. When we started the 1900s, people did not know how to fly. Now, as we anticipate what the 21ST century will bring, we can look back on decades of innovation, exploration and discovery. We have computers, faxes, cell phones, video animation, and can communicate across the street or around the world in a nanosecond via the Internet. We put astronauts in space and have landed men on the moon. We have sent unmanned shuttle missions to explore Jupiter, Venus and Mars. We put the 12-ton Hubble Space Telescope into orbit with a flaw in its 94-inch mirror, and then three years later sent astronauts abroad a space shuttle to connect with the telescope and correct the flaw - mission accomplished! We read about these feats and sometimes take them for granted. But the technology to do all this and more was developed over the course of the 20th century when an agricultural America gave way to an industrialized nation. Now we are in a technological age, pushing the envelope further in terms of human ingenuity and endurance in space, remote sensing satellites, more sophisticated science and technology, space missions, more precise scientific instrumentation to explore other planets, and on and on. Space - The Next Frontier
This is not a career for everyone. This is a highly specialized field for those who will be motivated by the excitement of discovery and the pursuit of knowledge. With few exceptions, this is not a high-profile career. Competition for jobs can be very intense, and money is not the reason one goes into this field. The product is knowledge and those rewards can be monumental. Professional Specialties
What projects will these professionals do?
To some all this may sound like science fiction, but to astronauts, engineers, astronomers, meteorologists, mathematicians, computer scientists and many other professionals, this is serious business. Plans for these and other programs and projects have been developing for years and will soon become reality in the 21ST century. This is only the beginning. The initial investment that allowed us to orbit the Earth and put men on the moon. Launch unmanned space flights to Mars and other planets to take pictures and gather information. Launch and then fix the Hubble Telescope in space, and join the Russians aboard their space station Mir has sparked a new generation of space explorers. What is Space and Aerospace Science? Our solar system is almost 5 billion years old. The sun is 93 million miles from the Earth and the star nearest to the Earth, Proxima Cantauri, is 26 trillion miles away! Our galaxy is called The Milky Way, but there are estimated to be millions of other galaxies in the universe that are thought to be 100 billion trillion miles into space. How do we know all this, thousands of years of research and discovery. One big turning point came at the end of the 1600s when Danish astronomer Olaus Roemer perfected a telescope invented by Hans Lippershey, a Dutch maker of spectacles early in that century. Roemer was able to make the very first estimate of the speed of light. By timing the eclipses of the moons of Jupiter, he calculated that light has a finite velocity and travels at 141,000 miles per second. This proved to be reasonably correct as light actually travels 186,282 miles per second as scientists with newer technology eventually found out. While a light year, the distance traveled by light in one year at the rate of 186,282 miles per second, seems an unimaginably long distance, everything we see in the sky right now is an image of the past because light takes so much time to reach our eyes. Even traveling at this amazing speed. Two prime examples are, Deneb, the summertime star, lies 1,500 light years away and we are seeing it today as it was near the end of the fourth century when the Roman Empire fell and vanished; and the Great Galaxy of the Andromeda, which is the farthest known object visible to the naked eye near the northeastern corner of the Square of Pegasus, is about 2 million light years away, and we are seeing it as it was long before our Earth was inhabited by humans. Considering the vastness of our own galaxy in the scheme of the universe, we know very little about space. The centuries of research and discovery have barely scratched the surface of the moon and Mars. In fact, much of what we know today has been discovered in the last 50 years, thanks in large part to the space science program. The great challenge of the new century will be to probe, discover, research, develop and implement the endless supplies of energy and raw materials available in space, while exploring the possibilities of living elsewhere in our galaxy. If you like science, are good in math, use computers, and are curious about space and what lies out there, then read on and find out how it all began and where it may be going.
Where Did We Come From? Evolutionary activity known as the Cambrian Explosion in geologic time comes much later, about 570 million years ago, when creatures with hard skeletons appear (fossils of these creatures have been discovered). Vertebrates come out of the water onto land, and early dinosaurs roam the Earth. Move ahead in time to about 65 million years ago when an asteroid slams into what is now Mexico and all the dinosaurs die. Only a very, very short time ago, on the scale of the history of the universe, estimated at about 100,000 years ago in Africa and 35,000 years ago in Europe, there appeared on scene Homo sapiens, "the species of bipedal primates to which modern humans belong." Discoveries of the Great Astronomers In 134 BC, Hipparchus, a Greek astronomer, charts the positions of about a thousand stars and ranks them according to brightness. His system, with modifications, is still in use today. The first work of science fiction is written about 150 AD and tells of a hero who flies from Mount Olympus to the moon and sees that the Earth is round. Down through the centuries stars, comets and planets are discovered, named and charted. It Continues With Copernicus And Galileo Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Italian physicist and astronomer, believes and defends Copernicus' work and finds himself in conflict with the Catholic Church. The more that Galileo insists the Copernicus view is correct, the further Roman theologians pull away from him. In 1633, Galileo is brought to trial, found guilty of heresy and banished to house arrest until his death in 1642. It will not be until 1992 that the Catholic Church lifts its condemnation of Galileo for believing that the Earth revolves around the Sun. In the end, it was left to Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), German astronomer, to lay down the laws of planetary motion that enables Isaac Newton (1642-1727), English philosopher and mathematician, to develop the theory of gravity and contribute to science as we know it today. Throughout the 1600s and 1700s, astronomers, astrologers, mathematicians, scientists and sailors chart the heavens through the naked eye, and later the telescope. Comets are spotted and named; the position of the planets can now be predicted; the planet Uranus is discovered; hydrogen is discovered; two Frenchman make a historical 26-minute flight into the atmosphere in the first ever hot-air balloon made from wallpaper and linen. By the 1800s, bigger and more powerful telescopes are in use by scientists all over the world. German astronomer William Herschel discovers infrared radiation. Austrian physicist Christian Johann Doppler discovers the wave-length velocity shift that measures the frequency of acoustic and electromagnetic radiation emitted by a source (Doppler radar, used worldwide today, is named for this scientist). The Harvard Observatory makes the first Daguerrotype (photograph) of the star Vega. Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli discovers the dark streaks on Mars. German physicist William Roentgen discovers x-rays, and so science advances. The 20th Century and The Space Age In 1927, Charles Lindbergh makes the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in the Spirit of Saint Louis. In the 1940s, the first rocket plane exceeds the speed of sound. There were the first claims for sighting of flying saucers, or UFOs, the Hale Telescope with its 200-inch mirror is in operation on Mount Palomar in California, and the first atom bomb is set off in the desert of New Mexico. The 1950s ushers in The Space Age when the former Soviet Union launches Sputnik, a small metal sphere that orbits the Earth. America puts its first astronaut, Alan Shepard, in space in 1961, and astronaut John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth. (John Glenn, at age 77, flew again into space in 1998 to test the effects of weightlessness and other measures on older people). On September 8, 1966, a television show premieres to a collective audience yawn. But it would not take long before the daring and popular crew of the spaceship Enterprise puts Star Trek into the winners circle. The show becomes so popular that spinoff series and feature movies continue to appear. Meanwhile, President John Kennedy's inauguration pledge in January 1961 to land on the moon. In the decade comes to fruition on July 20, 1969 when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans not only to land and walk on the surface of the moon, but to reconnect with their spaceship and fly safely back to Earth. The exploration of space continues throughout the 1970s as the first electronic digital computers are used on missions. In fact, it is only about 30 years ago that the Gemini and Apollo space programs were the very first manned spacecraft to carry on-board computers. In addition, the technology has advanced far enough to make possible the first rocket strong enough to reach well into space, when Voyager 2 is launched for a tour of the solar system that will include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Voyager 1 discovers the rings of Jupiter, and Pioneer 11 becomes the first spacecraft to reach Saturn. Space scientists started the 1980s by launching the first space shuttle. Voyager 2 reaches Uranus on January 24, 1986, more than eight years after its launch in 1977 and continues on to Neptune. Quasars, the most distant and most luminous objects in the universe, are discovered at a distance of approximately 17 billion light years away. In 1989, the Magellan spacecraft begins a journey to Venus where it will use radar signals to map the surface of this planet. Later in 1989, Voyager 2 passes Neptune, and NASA launches its Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite. The 1990s open with the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope from the space shuttle Discovery. Galileo is the first interplanetary spacecraft launched from Earth to orbit Venus and then return to the Earth's orbit where it receives a gravitational boost to help propel it toward Jupiter. Astronauts walk in space. The Big Bang theory receives major confirmation thanks to the COBE satellite. NASA's Mars Observer spacecraft is launched to make a detailed study of the atmosphere and surface of the red planet. Voyagers 1 and 2, launched in 1977, are sending back intense low-frequency radio waves in 1993 which are thought to come from the edge of the solar system. These spaceships are respectively 4.9 billion miles and 3.7 billion miles from Earth. Also in 1993, astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavor successfully connect with and correct the defects in the Hubble Space Telescope. And on December 7, 1995, Galileo arrives at Jupiter. While space programs have been largely successful, there have been some notable disasters. In 1967, three astronauts die aboard the Apollo space capsule during a test fire at Cape Canaveral. In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after liftoff killing six astronauts and the first teacher trained to go into space. Apollo 13 had some scary moments before making it back safely, and a number of unmanned spacecraft and satellites failed on the launch pad or at various stages of flight. As we stand at the brink of the new millennium, we know a lot about space, and yet we know so little. Space is still a vast, largely unchartered place where black holes, stellar brightness, light years, variable stars, meteors, comets, asteroids, zodiacal light, lunar phases, eclipses, planets. The Milky Way and other galaxies challenge scientists to probe, discover, research and develop the means to use space, its endless supplies of energies, and raw materials, for the benefit of those who inhabit the Earth, and those who will eventually live in space, on a station or another planet. Is there life on other planets or galaxies? Can life as we know it exist in other parts of the universe? Will there be enough trained scientists, astronomers, physicists, mathematicians, computer experts and other professionals to carry on this work throughout the 21ST century and beyond? That is the big question. The Professional Landscape Long before Alan Shepard went on his historic 15-minute flight into space on May 15, 1961, every aspect of his training, every minute detail of the spacecraft, the controls on board and at mission control were tested and simulated over and over again, until there were no questions or doubts. This meant that up to flight time, hundreds, even thousands, of scientists, engineers and other professionals had a hand in this history-making flight. From Shepard's training, to his space suit, to his mental and physical well being, down to the very last fastener on his suit, everything had to be right. The space and aerospace sciences include many professionals such as astronomers, engineers, astronauts, astrophysicists, cosmologists, meteorologists, planetologists, computer scientists/software engineers, solar and stellar physicists and more. In addition, there is a whole new field of Space Medicine that is still in its beginning stages. This is a profession that not only requires intellectual excellence in science, engineering, computers and mathematics, but also needs professionals who possess excellent communications skills, as well as the ability to work in concert with others. So much of the work is a team effort. These are some of the specialties that make up this career. Astronomers While astronomy is the oldest science, in many respects it is also the newest in terms of ongoing discoveries and new insights and theories of our own galaxy and the universe in general. Astronomy is the science that studies the universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Its meaning is derived from the Greek words astro pertaining to the stars, celestial bodies and space activities; and nomy meaning distribution, arrangement and management. Space science has its origin in astronomy. The ancient mariners and early astronomers viewed the skies only through human eyes. It would take thousands of years before the development of the telescope. Today's astronomers use some of the largest and most powerful telescopes ever imagined. They also use the best supercomputers to study and theorize about the universe and our place in it. Astronomers use ground-based telescopes that are equipped with state-of-the-art electronic light-gathering instruments to measure the chemical composition of stars, look for new planets near other stars, and measure the mass of galaxy clusters. Astronomers use computers to simulate cosmic jets and the environment around black holes and pulses. They simulate galaxy collisions to learn more about large-scale structures in the early history of the universe. Astronomers work on interplanetary space missions and to date have observed eight of the nine known major planets in great detail. Working in a team setting, they have mapped and landed on the surface of the moon, Mars and Venus. Through orbiting observatories they have scrutinized star clusters, distant quasars and more.
Astronomers study data gathered by other scientists, including physicists, to help answer questions about the Big Bang and the nature of matter in the universe. In addition to study, they research, write papers, lecture and attend conferences and meetings all over the world to network with other professionals. In the past two decades, astronomers have made astonishing and unprecedented discoveries that to many sound like science fiction. Discoveries such as gamma ray bursters; great walls of galaxies; light echoes around exploding stars; cosmic jets; voids in space; gravitational lenses and much more. All this has helped to reveal a richer, more varied universe than had been imagined by previous generations. This poses new challenges for astronomers and all scientists who want to better understand the big picture and how it came to be. Other space science careers that share in the universe include: Astrophysicists Solar Astronomers Planetologists Solar and Stellar Physicists Atmospheric Scientists Meteorologists Modern astronomy is flourishing. It is a challenging science. While they can't put stars in a test tube, and their fossils may be millions, or even billions, of light years away from Earth, their important information is gained from analysis of light, the motions of celestial bodies, photographs, radio waves and samples from successful space missions. It is a rigorous science because the objective of astronomers is to understand the nature of the universe and to use the knowledge to advance life here on Earth and in space. More than 6,000 astronomers across North America work for science museums, planetariums, observatories, colleges, universities, scientific supply companies, and astronomical publications such as "Sky and Telescope." In industry, astronomers work for aerospace companies and other organizations that do space-related research, spacecraft design, etc. Others work for NASA and agencies such as the National Science Foundation. Job openings are expected to increase in the 21ST century when the space station and other planned projects are built and have to be manned and observed. Aerospace Engineers Aerospace engineers are responsible for designing and building aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, rocket engines, guidance systems, nose cones and much more. They have to deal with the physics of propulsion, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, structures, energy, flight and space mechanics. Sometimes they function as scientists and sometimes as engineers, as they research and develop, analyze problems and data, design aerospace devices, develop materials for use in space, and do product testing, operations and management. There are more than 65,000 aerospace engineers working today. More than half work in aerospace and related industries. Others work for government agencies such as NASA and companies that may have aerospace contracts. Still others teach and conduct research at institutions of higher learning. Aerospace engineering was born in Germany in the late 1930s. Stability and guidance was a problem from the onset, especially in the first few seconds of flight when the engine gains full thrust and the craft accelerates. A young German engineer named Helmut Hoelzer would design "an analog circuit that used electronic components to model the control system and the rocket's motion." Eventually, this model - or simulator - would help control the flight and put aerospace engineering on the scientific map. By the early 1960s, Hoelzer was in the United States and head of the Computation Laboratory of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where his engineering feat would be perfected and become a challenge to existing technology. Change is constant in this field. Redesigning and rearranging to reflect technology advances can be difficult and lengthy. Aerospace engineering is all about the transfer of technology from concepts to space applications to real time systems. In this career it helps if the imagination works overtime. Computer Scientists/Software Engineers Thirty-six years later we have advanced to the microchip thanks to the professionals who made computers and software their life's work. In our daily lives we can change computers and pop in new software at almost any time. In space-related work, computer scientists and software engineers are highly specialized professionals who must know everything about whatever system they are working on. Even one tiny change - one letter difference in a computer code - could mean success for a mission or spell disaster for the entire system. Every new step or application is pondered and planned to the ultimate degree before any change can take place. Remember that these experts are dealing with systems in multi-million dollar settings, and there are lives at stake on manned missions. There is a big communications difference between manned and unmanned space flights. A manned spacecraft has a highly trained crew of experts on board who can handle emergencies and monitor the systems closely. An unmanned spacecraft has an autonomous robot that must handle emergencies with whatever artificial intelligence it has carried on board. Computers and software must reflect these different situations. Computer scientists and software engineers receive and analyze data and images from the spacecraft. They do their work for NASA, aerospace industries, and companies who have contracts to produce advanced computer and software applications for space missions and research. Because each mission into space is difficult, and the data gathered unique to that particular mission, these professionals are always on the cutting edge of new technology. The 21ST century promises even more startling discoveries and technological advances. As you play your virtual-reality computer games and cruise the information superhighway, remember that everyone is a beneficiary of this advanced technology. Astronauts The astronaut program includes pilots, mission specialists and astronauts. Astronauts are a special breed of professionals. They are an elite group of pilots, engineers and scientists who take challenges to new heights. Every mission is difficult and each presents its own set of problems that astronauts must work through. Even when the situation is life threatening as it was aboard Apollo 13, it is up to the astronauts to prove why they were selected for the program in the first place. The following information about astronaut selection is from the NASA's Selection Office at the Johnson Space Center:
To be considered for the astronaut program a candidate must be a United States citizen and have at least a bachelor's degree in engineering, science or math. A rating panel evaluates qualified applicants. Highly qualified applicants are retained for additional consideration based on:
Science was one of my best subjects in high school. I participated in the school science club and entered projects with other students in science fairs. Two of the projects I worked on received honorable mention. I also did well in math, but physics was harder. I decided to seek a bachelor's degree in science. I was not exactly sure where I eventually wanted to go with this degree. A major step in the process that occurred at the beginning of my sophomore year in college would help point the way. The planetarium associated with the university I was attending put out a notice asking for two science major students who might be interested in helping with tours and other public events. No money, just experience was the advantage. I was one of more than 40 students who applied and one of the two who were accepted. I wound up working there part time for the rest of my college years and eventually received a modest salary for my efforts. These years were so interesting that I could hardly wait to get to the planetarium every day to see what work they had for me. We know a lot but it is only a fraction of what we have yet to learn. For more than a year I helped with children's tours from local schools. That was fun as it was wonderful to see the excitement on their faces when they were shown the moon and stars 'close up.' I also managed to include space science courses into my busy schedule. I came in contact with professionals working in various space fields who use the planetarium and its resources for study and research. It was during my senior year that I decided I wanted to do research in astronomy, specifically planetary science. The planetarium put on a special showing of planets and their moons, how they form, what happens to them, and what we can learn from this process. It was truly fascinating and very challenging. I graduated from college two years ago with a bachelor's degree in science and a minor in computer science. Computers are a very important part of science and research today and while I used computers comfortably, I felt that I needed a greater understanding of the technology and where it might be going. Because of this particular decision, I was offered a full-time job at the planetarium as assistant to the director. This is a newly created position because, thanks to a generous grant, we are getting an advanced computer system that will require some staff to be retrained. I already knew some of the technology and was poised to say yes when the job was offered. All I can tell you is that I love my job. I've been here almost two years and am learning so much because all information flows to and from the director's office. It's exciting, interesting and challenging. The money isn't great compared to some other fields, but I'll bet that I'm happier in my work than many others who make more money. I guess if you really want to make the big bucks, you should find another field. But if you love science and challenge then you should consider the space sciences. I will need a master's degree to reach the next career plateau and, if I really want to become an astronomer and fulfill my research dream, then I will need to earn a PhD. I am already looking for scholarship money for a graduate program. One step at a time. I hope to be here at least another two years and then make a move. Who knows, maybe someday I'll discover the next important space phenomenon like a new planet. In this field anything is possible!" I'm a Mission Specialist for NASA When I retired I was 38 years old with excellent experience and a great service record. Through colleagues I was recruited by a major airline for their commercial pilot training program. The money was very good and even though I had a service pension, I had started a family and we were expecting our third child. During the year-long training period I realized that I didn't want to be a commercial pilot. Just flying from point A to point B and back again did not interest me. My work in the Air Force had been interesting and exciting. It was a difficult decision to make, but I'm glad it happened before I was fully committed. I started to look around while I was still in the program and again through colleagues learned that NASA, which happens to have a facility just 45 miles from my home, was adding to their astronaut core. I was not interested in becoming an astronaut, but in working on the mission programs. I passed their qualification requirements and eventually passed two rating panels to begin training as a mission specialist. This is my third year at NASA and I am very pleased with my decision to be here. Until you're in this setting, you can't imagine how much work and how exciting a space mission is. And it is a total team effort. From the astronauts down to the lowest paper shuffler, everyone knows what is expected of them. I experienced my first mission at the beginning of this year and it was one of the most exciting, heart-stopping events of my life so far. Thankfully, it was a success, but no one really relaxes until the mission is completed and the spacecraft is back on the ground. To know that you are a small part of this mission is rewarding beyond words. I have a good future here. I learn new things each day as the technology is in constant change. But that is the reason that we are still one step ahead of the rest of the world. So far I've made the right choices for my future. I hope it continues." I'm an Aerospace Engineer I always wanted to be an engineer. My father is a retired electrical engineer and I thought his work was so interesting. My plan was to attend the same college he had gone to, and I even researched the university and got all the pertinent requirement and application information. At the beginning of my senior high school year, our district put on a two-day science exposition to interest students in science careers. They invited a variety of professionals from a number of fields to talk and display their information. While I attended with an open mind, I was still sure that my future was in electrical engineering. Aerospace industries were heavily represented and after listening to and talking about the exciting plans for a future in space, I was hooked. I began collecting information and called several companies for job information. After talking with my family, I filled out an application to a university that had a degree program in aerospace engineering. I have never regretted this decision. This is a very challenging field where you have to keep on top of the technology and one step ahead of the competition. Our company is not large, but we have a good mix of men and women who operate in different areas and work well at the team level. We have a good reputation, which is important. I graduated from college second in my class and was recruited by the Department of Defense. For the next eight years I worked at Defense where I started out researching communications satellites, but after a year moved into design. I'm very good on the computer and enjoyed the challenge of working on updated models of existing satellites. It was very good experience. I decided to move into private industry because there are less restrictions on creativity. Not that I couldn't be creative at Defense, but there are so many levels to go through before anything is approved, and everything takes so long that it kind of dampens the enthusiasm and takes the freshness out of the project. In this business you meet and network with other professionals. It was such a meeting, actually a conference, that brought me to my current work. I had a lengthy conversation with the two partners who had started this company about a dozen years earlier, and they invited me to visit. We met several times and they offered me a position, which I accepted. Once again I made a good decision. We proved to be a good team from the beginning. Three years ago I was made a junior partner and that made me happy to know that my work was rewarded in such a positive way. The money is excellent, my colleagues are the best, and I'm constantly challenged and rewarded by my work. What more could I ask. Today we are able to communicate in an instant and much of that technology comes through satellites that bounce signals from here to there to everywhere. There is no question that modern electronics has transformed the industry and our world, and I'm right in the thick of it. I hope to end my career here meeting the challenges of each day. You can't get stale in this business because if you don't stay on top of the technology, there is always someone right behind you to take over. It's a great career for students to take a good look at."
Imagination and creativity to research, probe and explore the unknown as well as the known, looking for the new and the better that may take us to a new level of discovery. Curiosity and persistence which are basic to the sciences in order to question and then answer over and over again and never give up until the appropriate solutions or explanations are found. Honesty and enthusiasm to have a high regard for the truth no matter the consequences, as well as an eagerness and zeal to put all energies into whatever the work at hand is. Return to Top
This is a field about discovering new information on an old product, the universe we are part of. How did we get to this point and where are we going is being studied in space-related facilities across the country and around the world. Will we be able to duplicate planet Earth on another planet in our galaxy or in other galaxies? What new communication devices will we be using in another 50 years? Will the history of the universe repeat itself, and will an asteroid wipe us out? Imagine how interesting it is to work on - even ponder - these questions in your daily work life. This is a creative and imaginative field where you can go anywhere in your mind. Science knows no boundaries; that is what makes this field so challenging for the curious. You get to solve problems, discover new ones, analyze data, use information, work with the latest and the best technology, and work in surroundings that are out of this world - sometimes literally. In fact, the future of our species and our planet could depend on the work of space and aerospace scientists. You work in interesting settings with interesting colleagues. You learn to work well with others and share in the disappointments as well as the rewards. You learn new skills, test theories, write papers and receive recognition. The work is fascinating because it can take in everything from the already established, to the different and exotic, to the really unbelievable. That is why the word challenge is used so often in connection with this field. The challenges are ongoing as professionals push further and further into the universe, holding the possible future of Earth in their hands. This is definitely a profession for the future. Return to Top
When funding is limited and the work needs to be completed yesterday, the hours can be long and the work becomes very stressful. The constant change in technology can be overwhelming. By the time one system is learned or a software package is in place, an updated or newer version is ready to take its place. There is an endless flow of data and documents to absorb. Many people do not understand the purpose or the need for chasing stars or photographing planets or building a space station. There is an ongoing struggle to get more funding either to complete a project or begin a new one. The frustration level can be very high because you are never fully appreciated. The money is only adequate for all that you give to this profession. Everyone wanted to go to the moon, but no one wanted to pay for it. The same holds true today when programs such as the space station are being held back for lack of sufficient funding. Return to Top
Job opportunities in aerospace science, especially engineering, will continue to grow at a good rate in the 21ST century. That fact is being supported by the increasing number of colleges and universities that now have degree programs in this field according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. They include:
Education for a career in astronomy requires involvement at the high school level. If you are really serious about this career then you should become involved now with school science groups, state junior academies of science, and local amateur astronomy clubs. The American Astronomical Society says there are literally thousands of such organizations in the United States. The Society notes that "college undergraduates planning careers in astronomy must obtain a solid foundation in physics and mathematics. Specifically, a student planning to go on to graduate school in astronomy should have had physics courses covering electricity and magnetism, atomic and nuclear physics, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and quantum theory. For some astronomy specialties, studies in geology or chemistry may be more appropriate." There is no question that these scientists are well-educated and well-trained professionals. They are expected to stay on top of the newest technology and advance in their specialty. They belong to professional societies to receive valuable information through publications and papers; they attend conferences, meetings and seminars to learn and to network; and they combine the best of their technical and personal skills to pursue the best career opportunities. If you are interested in this kind of career, then you will need at least a bachelor's degree. Depending upon where you want your career to take you, you may need a master's degree and eventually a PhD. The doctorate is a definite must if you want to wind up teaching at a university or doing research there. In order to learn more you should contact one of the schools for entry requirements, course work, tuition and other information. If science is your passion and you are turned on to space and or aerospace science, then it is time to begin pursuing these future professional possibilities. Return to Top
Because this field is relatively small (from 6,000 in astronomy to 66,000 in aerospace engineering), salaries and benefits are comparable across the country. There are only so many science museums, observatories, laboratories, planetariums, aerospace industries, NASA facilities and the like, so job descriptions and salaries tend to be similar and competitive. Salaries for entry-level positions range from around $25,000 to about $40,000. In some areas private industry pays better than the government, and in some areas like NASA, they have to be competitive to get the best. The median range for an established professional with about 10 years of experience is between $60,000 and $75,000. Professionals who are in business for themselves or do consulting work, can earn into the six-figure level. Of course, the more education and training you have, and the more experience you gain, the better your earnings potential will be.
But getting to be this consummate professional is not easy, nor is the educational process that takes you there. First and foremost, you must really love this field that encompasses science, engineering, mathematics and computers, if you are going to acquire the skills and knowledge to be successful in this career. And while this may be true for any field of endeavor, it is especially true for the more highly technical careers where achieving a certain level of professionalism could take years of study followed by years of experience. Second, careers in science require well-rounded knowledge. Scientists do not work in a vacuum and are no longer considered "nerds." Right now, in high school, you should be studying biology, physics, chemistry, geography, and mathematics (through calculus). You should be taking courses in computers and computer programming because every area of science uses computers extensively. You should be proficient in the English language as well as writing, to be able to communicate clearly, concisely and, most importantly, precisely. You should be proficient in at least one foreign language, and because scientists live in the world, social studies, history, music and literature are important. Newspapers reported on October 9, 1998, "The faintest most distant objects ever sighted, galaxies of stars more than 12 billion light-years away, have been detected by an infrared camera on the Hubble Space Telescope. The sighting penetrates for the first time to within about 1 billion light-years of the beginning of the universe, astronomers said." This is a big deal for space science. We are seeing things never imagined or thought possible. In fact, NASA is now in the planning stages to build a more advanced space telescope which will be needed to absolutely confirm these findings. "We are going further than ever before," said the main astronomer for this project. This is heady stuff and if you want to be a part of this in the 21ST century, then you better start looking into the possibilities now. Research the subjects both in the libraries and on the Internet. Talk to professionals in the field. Join one of the amateur clubs. Read publications on space and aerospace. Decide how much you love the subject and how much time and energy you are willing to put in to achieve success. Where do you want your career to take you. Only you can answer these questions. Discuss your ideas with your family, teachers, counselors, friends. But the time to start is now. The envelope is being pushed further and further, and science may be waiting for you to take it to the next level. Seeing to almost the edge of the universe is indeed exciting. The opportunities are waiting. Good luck!
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Careers Research Monographs Copyright 2002 by The Institute For Research CHICAGO
