Xref: utzoo sci.space:15278 sci.space.shuttle:3986
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Advice?? (asking for)
Message-ID: <1989Nov6.174204.896@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <89306.192249AEA1@PSUVM.BITNET>
Date: Mon, 6 Nov 89 17:42:04 GMT

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