Careers in Space
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
How do I find out more? There are many routes into a nationalspaceacademy.org/ space career and plenty of support careers/careers-links available to help you. Here are Links from the National Space some links to useful websites: Academy to useful sites gov.uk/ukspaceagency technicians.org.uk The UK Space Agency’s official Learn more about how an website including its online apprenticeship could develop magazine, SpaceUK your skills for a space career spacecareers.uk Ideas about careers provided by esero.org.uk UKSEDS, the UK’s national Aimed at teachers, the student space society UK space education office has several space.ktnlandscapes.com career Set up by the UK’s innovation resources agency, this site provides information about organisations within the UK space sector myskillsmylife.org.uk MySkillsMyLife - Online game and resources from WISE campaign for girls and young women aged 11-19 Careers in space The sky is not the limit Image credits: ESA, SSTL, NERC, Airbus Why work in space? What skills do you need? Space is one of the fastest growing The space industry employs Most careers in space require Natural science: Scientists work sectors of the UK economy, engineers and scientists, innovation, creativity, teamwork with satellite technology to supporting jobs for some 117,000 accountants, lawyers and and problem solving. Many learn more about the Earth and people. With the motivation, and communicators. There are jobs in jobs cover multiple disciplines understand how it’s changing. the right skills and qualifications, the public and private sectors, in and, as space is an international Biologists use satellite sensors to you could join them. universities, major multinational endeavour, they often involve investigate the effects of plastic Careers in space cover companies and small enterprises. working with partners around pollution, meteorologists rely on everything from building UK teams are building some of the the world. satellites to track the weather, and spacecraft and designing world’s largest – and smallest – There are plenty of opportunities satellite data helps chemists and satellites, to co-ordinating disaster satellites. They are constructing the available for apprentices and physicists predict the effects of relief and forecasting future first European Mars rover and are graduates. climate change. climate. You could also ph el working on missions to the Moon, Studying science, engineering, Space science: Is there life on develop new technology, search Mercury and Jupiter. IT and maths – as well as related Mars? You could be part of a for life on distant worlds or work British engineers are developing subjects, such as geography – will science team that is trying to find with astronauts. new satellite communications put you in a strong position for a out. From discovering planets that might support life to unravelling services. Innovators have built wide range of space careers. the mysteries of Mercury, space the first colour video from space. Engineering: Teams of engineers scientists, physicists and astronomers Scientists are using satellite work together to design and build are tackling fundamental questions technology to monitor life in the spacecraft, robots, instruments about the nature of the universe. oceans and the possibilities and satellite sensors. They develop From co-ordinating the of life on distant worlds. practical skills and need to co- Services: response to a natural disaster to operate to solve problems. As an developing computer algorithms to engineer, you might be working map urban development, there is a on a new Earth monitoring wealth of opportunities to help satellite, propulsion system or even deliver services from space and mission to another planet. make a difference to people’s lives. This is one of the biggest growth areas in the UK space sector and businesses are looking for people with a wide range of skills. These might include qualifications in software design and IT, geography or marketing..