5 Career Options in Space Beyond Academia

Building upon the article I posted about the pyramid scheme of academia, let’s get into some specific non-academic career options if you are studying space-related fields.

This list is U.S.-centric, but there are likely analogues to each option in many other countries as well. Please note that none of the companies or entities mentioned in this article are meant as an endorsement, and are provided for informational purposes only.

NASA

The Vertical Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Image credit: NASA/Bill White

Okay, this probably seems obvious for a space-related career. NASA has various centers across the U.S., each with a different focus. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama focuses on rockets and propulsion systems. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has a strong presence in Earth system sciences, as well as astronomical missions like Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA Ames Research Center covers a huge swath of science and technology, including computing, space missions, and astrobiology. Positions at NASA are either as a civil servant—meaning you are directly employed by the government—or as a contractor through a private company. Due to NASA being a government entity, many roles require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.

You can browse NASA’s current job postings at USAJobs.gov.

National Labs