• Question: When pursuing a career in the space department what would you say is key to having a better understanding of the field and the content of studying space and give you an upper hand when it comes to applications (extra-curricular projects, reading lists or certain conferences to attend)? i'm in year 11 at the moment but i'd like to prepare myself ahead of time.

    Asked by anon-252780 to Ry on 4 May 2020.
    • Photo: Ry Cutter

      Ry Cutter answered on 4 May 2020: last edited 4 May 2020 9:28 am

      This is going to vary a lot depending who you ask and where you’re applying. I would say being able to demonstrate a clear passion is your best bet(but also you can’t say you’re passionate for some reason). If you have a local astronomy club or planetarium you can visit, these can be good ways to establish a fundamental knowledge of space while also giving evidence you enjoy it!
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      If you can get volunteer/work experience doing some kind of science outreach as well can be beneficial. I think there’s a lot to say about a person who likes science so much they’re telling other people about it… that might be a humble brag 😀
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      I would say attending specialised conferences may be a bit too eager, but if you can find public talks by lecturers in your area that can always help steer you.
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      One thing I highly recommend, is that you find what specialities you are most interested in. Then find universities that have specialists corresponding to that interest. I know a lot of people who have gone to the ‘best’ universities only to find out they don’t have a course on the thing they were most keen to study! This shows not only have you researched why you want to go to a university, but it also shows you’re thinking beyond the degree.
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      Make sure you have a maths A-level or equivalent. It’s paradoxical, but the most important qualification you can have when applying for physics/astro/geophysics, is maths. The physics one is important, but not as essential!
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      I hope that helps,
      Ry
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      P.S. It’s great to hear you want to study space! Did you have any ideas on what particularly you’re interested in? I’d be happy to recommend some books you can read around particular areas and what unis are good places to start looking 😀

Comments

  • Photo: anon-252780

    anon-252780 commented on :

    I intend on pursuing a career in aerospace engineering and would like to be able to design and manufacture rockets and spacecrafts for big space exploration companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. I would love some book and uni recommendation yes please 🙂 I’ve been considering Cambridge, Imperial, Southampton and Bath but I’d be happy to hear if you have any other suggestions.

  • Photo: Ry

    Ry commented on :

    Ahh I’m not super familiar with aeronautics and space engineering, but I have read a few good not textbook books:
    – Ignition! by J. Clark
    – An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
    – Failure Is Not an Option by G. Kranz
    – Success through failure by H. Petroski
    If you’re looking for text books, I’d hold out on buying any big ones until you know what course you’re doing. They’re expensive and might not be exactly what you need 🙂 Most universities will give recommendations on what course texts you’ll need for each class.
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    You already have most of the big UK players, I’d also suggest Leicester and Bristol (and if you’re happy to try outside of the UK, Caltech has a fantastic jet propulsion lab!) Leicester in particular has the space museum nearby and is often involved with some of the departments research (so I’m told.)
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