AEA1@PSUVM.BITNET (Amy Antonucci) (11/03/89)
I was wondering if anyone out there could give me advice on how to get on the right track so that I may be involved in the space program as a career. I'm not sure what I want to do, but I don't expect to make it in the astronaut program. I'm a freshman at Penn State, and I've chosen an astronomy-physics double major. I don't particularly care to go into engineering, but I will if it means more of a chance with NASA. (I'd like *some* electives). I've also considered AFROTC. Comments? Advice? Any would be greatly appriciated. Thanks. ------- "You know, MacGyver, that's why you're so hard to beat. Nobody knows what you're doing next, including YOU"- Murdoc Amy Antonucci aea1@psuvm.bitnet
henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (11/07/89)
In article <89306.192249AEA1@PSUVM.BITNET> AEA1@PSUVM.BITNET (Amy Antonucci) writes: >I was wondering if anyone out there could give me advice on how >to get on the right track so that I may be involved in the space >program as a career. I'm not sure what I want to do, but I don't >expect to make it in the astronaut program. Mostly, you need to decide what side of the program you want to be involved in. There are people who build hardware. There are people who operate hardware once it's built. There are people who look at the results from the hardware. These categories overlap somewhat. For building, you want engineering. For operating, you probably want engineering or computers. For results, you want space science, which tends to be classed as physics and astronomy. Building goes on in various places, notably contractors and JPL. Operating mostly means working for NASA. Space science means universities, and not just any universities -- there are few flight opportunities, and most of them will go to the best groups. Getting involved with the military does not look like a particularly good way to get into the space business, at present. When you ride a gorilla, you go where the gorilla wants to go, not where you want to go. Work hard and be conspicuously good. There are lots of other people who want the same jobs, and there aren't all that many openings. -- A bit of tolerance is worth a | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology megabyte of flaming. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu
phil@delta.eecs.nwu.edu (William LeFebvre) (11/08/89)
In article <1989Nov6.174204.896@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <89306.192249AEA1@PSUVM.BITNET> AEA1@PSUVM.BITNET (Amy Antonucci) writes: >>I was wondering if anyone out there could give me advice on how >>to get on the right track so that I may be involved in the space >>program as a career. > >Operating mostly means working for NASA. The current setup for shuttle flight operations is kind of half NASA/JSC and half "STSOC" (Shuttle Transport System Operations Contract). STSOC is a consortium of companies, primarily Rockwell (the RSOC group), Bendix, and Ford Aerospace (not sure about the last one). There are advantages and disadvantages with each (NASA vs. STSOC). STSOC typically pays better at first, but there is little chance for advancement. NASA is the other way around, and has the advantage that you can always try to switch to something else when you get bored with STS operations. My wife was hired by Rockwell/RSOC fresh out of college in the summer of 1986 (just after Challenger and just before an across-the-board hiring freeze!). She double majored in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and graduated cum laude from Rice University (I'm not saying this to boast, but to give you an indication of her qualifications....of course, being female helped a bit, too, with the so-called "equal employment" quotas and all). After being there for about two years (as I recall) she was given the opportunity to switch over to NASA. Some people may not realize that this is a possibility, but it is: you can start off with a contractor and may still have the opportunity to switch to NASA a few years later. > Getting involved with the military does not look like a particularly > good way to get into the space business, at present. When you ride > a gorilla, you go where the gorilla wants to go, not where you want to go. That's a great way of putting it. In the military, THEY decide where you are stationed: you have very little say in the matter. Besides, it looks like the Air Force is getting out of the manned space business, at least for now. William LeFebvre Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Northwestern University <phil@eecs.nwu.edu>
henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (11/08/89)
In article <1989Nov6.174204.896@utzoo.uucp> I wrote: >... For results, you want space science, which >tends to be classed as physics and astronomy... An addendum is in order here: one particular subdivision of space science, to wit planetary science (which is *not* all of space science even though Chairman Carl tends to give that impression at times...), is sometimes found in geology departments. -- A bit of tolerance is worth a | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology megabyte of flaming. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu
johnsonr@boulder.Colorado.EDU (JOHNSON RICHARD J) (11/08/89)
henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <1989Nov6.174204.896@utzoo.uucp> I wrote: >>... For results, you want space science, which >>tends to be classed as physics and astronomy... > >An addendum is in order here: ...planetary science ... is sometimes >found in geology departments. And a further addendum: Let's not forget biological and medical science, perhaps two of the best fields to get into if you want to be involved in human spaceflight. | Richard Johnson johnsonr@spot.colorado.edu | | CSC doesn't necessarily share my opinions, but is welcome to. | | Power Tower...Dual Keel...Phase One...Allison/bertha/Colleen...?... | | Space Station Freedom is Dead. Long Live Space Station Freedom! |
mike@everexn.uucp (Mike Higgins) (11/09/89)
In article <89306.192249AEA1@PSUVM.BITNET> AEA1@PSUVM.BITNET (Amy Antonucci) writes: >to get on the right track so that I may be involved in the space >program as a career. > ... I'm a freshman at Penn State, and I've chosen an astronomy-physics I'm talking to people in the Physics/Astronomy department at Sonoma State, and they are trying to encourage students into the Astronomy track. It seems that the number of missions being launched now or planned for the future are going to start returning data in comming years, but qualified students are not ENTERING college fast enough to meed the expected demand! So if this was you desired major, I'd say stick with it! You will be in high demand when you graduate! Mike Higgins "Never trust a machine ...ucbvax!cogsci!well!fico2!everexn!mike you can't program" So many newsgroups... so little time...
grazier@maxwell.physics.purdue.edu (Kevin R. Grazier) (11/09/89)
In article <1989Nov7.232700.596@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <1989Nov6.174204.896@utzoo.uucp> I wrote: >>... For results, you want space science, which >>tends to be classed as physics and astronomy... >An addendum is in order here: one particular subdivision of space science, >to wit planetary science (which is *not* all of space science even though >Chairman Carl tends to give that impression at times...), is sometimes >found in geology departments. Actually, having just applied all over the place in planetary science (and deciding to stay here at PU), I think you'll find that planetary science is *USUALLY* found in geology departments. In my case, Purdue doesn't have a formal planetary science degree, but upon speaking with a professor or five, they're allowing me to taylor my coursework and research to allow me to get the equivalent educational experience as a planetary science major would get (though my final degree will probably officially read "geophysics"). Kevin R. Grazier Purdue: the home of astronauts Purdue University Physics Department and quarterbacks. INTERNET: grazier@physics.purdue.edu UUCP: (att | decvax | ucbvax | rutgers )!pur-ee!pur-phy!grazier
eugene@eos.UUCP (Eugene Miya) (11/13/89)
Far too many groups to cross-post to.......
>Entering the space program as a career.
You should stick with studying astronomy and physics, you can always go into
other scientific areas. 8)
In my case, I decided I wanted to be a scientist in 4th grade (specifically
astronomy). At the time the space program was on a roll, a friend's father
worked at JPL and be brought back fact sheets on Surveyor (he worked there
for Huge Aircrash), little did I realize I would end up working in one
of those buildings (264). By 6th grade I realized that the world would only
support about 800 astronomers, now and in the future. So I went nuclear
[only to discover in college that there were flaws in this industry (early
70s), fortunately I started hacking on the ARPAnet 8)]. After dropping
out of grad school I did get an offer to return to get a PhD in astronomy
from Santa Cruz, a child's dream come true, oh BTW, you can return to
computing after you get it. True.
You see the space program doesn't need astronomers specifically, in fact
there are very few jobs of with require this. It needs generalists
with a few specialists. The reason is that you will work in interdisciplinary
teams in many cases. It is your flexibility which is important (for
budgetary reasons as well as problem solving).
What the space program is very poor of, in contrast to industry 9),
is training. Expect to hit the ground running. You also have to ask
yourself what else you value: a home, a family, etc. because will become
increasingly difficult to do this in the Government sector. You can
become a contractor or an academic and "close encounter" space, but
you have to remember space != astronomy.
But you get to play with some fun tools, meet a few interesting people,
have fun on some interesting (hard) problems, etc., etc. As far as working
on projects go: perhaps 1 in 10 proposals gets funded. I used to work
on all those neat sounding plans. There just isn't enough money to
fund them all. Expect layoffs. Now, with major demilitarizations
and de-politicializations, who knows. We have to direct our money into
new areas, hopefully it will go into science and research and some into
space. But this requires a re-alignment of our social priorities.
Anyways, I've not said too much about jobs specificially, and the calendar
is turning so that cron should post my yearly reminder about summer
space program jobs in December [i.e. prepare resumes, etc.] but I send that to
misc.jobs.misc [sure it screws those people who read space as email,
but that is the appropriate forum for employment]. I won't give you a pep
talk, but I was one of the people who made it into the system after
watching those boosters go up with little capsules. Your netural odds
of getting a job are slightly better than those with net access (you
"know" how to use a computer), but that ain't enough, the vast majority
of those hired MEs, EEs, chemists, physicists, astronomers don't have
net access. So just study, and BE EXCELLENT.
Another gross generalization from
--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@aurora.arc.nasa.gov
resident cynic at the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:
"You trust the `reply' command with all those different mailers out there?"
"If my mail does not reach you, please accept my apology."
{ncar,decwrl,hplabs,uunet}!ames!eugene
Support the Free Software Foundation (FSF)lori@hacgate.UUCP (Lori Barfield) (11/17/89)
In article <5566@eos.UUCP> eugene@eos.UUCP (Eugene Miya) writes: > (he worked there >for Huge Aircrash) Hey! Better here than Turkeys Running Wild! ...lori