Space is an exciting thing to study and explore. If you are interested in being involved in such research, you can consider numerous careers. They have different areas of involvement and require different types of knowledge and skills. In all cases, they do have involvement in space research and space flight.
Space Technology Engineer
Engineers are the unsung heroes of space flight. We see the probes running around on other planets and their moons, and we see astronauts in space, but none of this would be possible without the engineers. They are the ones that design and build the probes, rockets, spacecraft, space stations, telescopes, and all the infrastructure necessary for them to work.
Without engineers, we would never have landed on the moon; no probes would have ever landed on Mars, Venus, or the Moon. There would be no great Hubble Space Telescope photos of distant parts of the universe without engineers. If you like designing and building things, engineering could be a field you would be good at.
Focusing on Space technology engineering would help you play an essential role in spaceflight, astronomy, and other areas of space research. No one will ever walk on Mars or the moon again without engineers behind them.
Astronomer
Astronomy is the oldest form of space research; today, it is almost the back door of space exploration. Astronomy makes a great hobby because nothing beats seeing planets, moons, and even deep space objects with your own eyes. If you like pointing a telescope into the sky to look at the fantastic things you can see, you will enjoy it as a career.
Astronomy is a field where discoveries can be made because we have only touched the tip of the iceberg regarding what is out there. There is so much to be discovered that going into a career in astronomy is likely to guarantee that you will find something new along the way.
Astronomers are also unsung heroes in space research, but you never know what you will find with so much opportunity for discovery.
Astronaut
Astronauts are those who go into space. Unfortunately, until recently, the opportunity to become an astronaut has been entirely through the government. This made the chances of being able to make it extremely small. However, whit companies like SpaceX reducing the cost of getting into orbit and eventually even to the Moon, many more opportunities will become available as the private sector moves out into space.
Has space flight becomes more privatized, more chances to get into space will open up for more people. This will include opportunities for people who do not have many of the skills usually required in the past. Opportunities will open up to people without college degrees or any actual technical knowledge.
The best bet is finding out which skills will be needed in space in the decades ahead by private companies and learn those skills to be ready when required.
Space Tourism
This is related to but not necessarily equivalent to being an astronaut. Space tourism is likely to be growing in the years ahead. Those companies providing spacecraft and accommodations for space tourists are going to need support personnel. These support personnel will include both ground and flight crews.
They will consist of engineers, technicians, pilots, cooks, custodial personnel, and much more. There are a lot of jobs that we currently do not associate with space that, once space tourism starts to bloom, will have a huge demand. This can not only be a way for you to have a space-related career but one in space itself.
The opportunities space tourism will open up are literally out of this world. They will include support on the Earth, support in-flight, Support on the moon, Mars, and wherever else space tourists may one day go.
Even today, there are many space-related careers you can pursue. As space flight becomes more commonplace, those opportunities will increase. The space job of the future may not be a job that today has anything to do with it. However, when it comes to space-related careers, not even the sky can be considered the limit.
