What I Do I help choose the materials that spacecraft are made of, and the manufacturing processes to make the parts and put them all together. Materials are the metals, plastics, composites (mix of materials), etc. that make up all the things you use or see every day. Even in your own home or in a bus/car! Every material is chosen for a reason.
Why Engineering? I've always been curious about how and why things work, but wanted challenges that change frequently so that I'm not doing the same tasks each day. Engineering enables me to learn new, exciting things about space environments and technology every day while helping to develop new product designs. It's also a delight to do all this in a team environment where I work with mechanical designers, industrial designers, stress analysts, manufacturing engineers, etc.
My Day At Work I work in teams and sometimes lead teams in projects that narrow down options for a new material or refine a new manufacturing process. I also talk to design engineers to help them select the best materials for their designs, and I support the customer support teams to find out why something failed in service, which leads to a new design.
Best Part Working with people who are excited as I am to be creating the next generation of spacecraft! It's very much a collaborative team environment. Failure analysis is always fun too whenever that comes up!
Want to be an Engineer? Don't be discouraged from exploring an interest in engineering if you aren't getting good grades in your math and science classes! Being "good" at those subjects will come with time if you challenge yourself to always ask questions whenever you're confused or curious about something. And did you know that there are plenty of internships and summer camps for middle & high school students to see which type of engineering you might be interested in?! These types of events are typically hosted by nearby universities and companies that employ a ton of engineers, so reach out to them by e-mail! It never hurts to ask so that you'll be ready when application deadlines are close!
Hobbies I'm also a professional artist & photographer too! Sometimes these skills even come in handy at work since documentation and communication are so important in engineering. There are plenty of engineers who are creative professionals or hobbyists outside of their day job. Having a creative outlet can be a great balance to all the technical work if you have multiple interests!