Question
We’ve spent some time exploring space—now, let’s investigate the wide variety of careers to choose from in the field of astronomy. When you think about careers in astronomy, you probably think about astronauts first. It’s perhaps one of the most glamorous and admired jobs—there are even blockbuster movies made about astronauts risking their lives and overcoming great odds to explore our universe and even (fictionally) save our planet. These are like the movie stars of the astronomy world—but every great movie has a crew behind it.
The larger industry that careers like astronomers and astronauts (and the teams that support them) belong to is called the aerospace industry, which covers professions that deal with both commercial and government vehicles that fly within Earth’s airspace (like the plane you took on vacation or the fighter jet you saw at the Fourth of July parade), as well as flight into outer space.
Nine fighter jets fly in tight formation, executing a tight turn with their exhaust plumes on to leave a trail across the sky.
Do you want to explore the sky or travel to the stars?
We are focused on those “extraterrestrial” flights to the stars! If you’ve seen any of these space films, you’ll know that there is a large mission control team on the ground helping to plan space missions, keep astronomers safe in space, and bring them home in one piece.
Zoom out even further, and you’ll find a web of interconnected career paths that all contribute to our body of astronomical knowledge. We’ve already talked about astronomers and astronomical research, but there are also data analysts, policy makers, software engineers, and journalists that enrich the field and help to inspire and cultivate new “space talent.”
No matter whether you’re aiming for a place in the spotlight or the directors’ chair, there’s likely a career in astronomy that’s right for you. For each career path, we’ll explore what people in these jobs do and what skills and interests might indicate that they’re a good fit for you.
Mission Control
You’ve probably heard the famous line from the film Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem.” Who was astronomer Jim Lovell talking to when he recited this phrase? He was communicating with the team on the ground at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, who were in charge of the Apollo 13 mission.
Three people look at a large monitor displaying the International Space Station while monitoring operations.
Does managing the operations and success of a space flight align to your preferences?
The Johnson Space Center is one of NASA’s six space flight centers in the United States. NASA also has research and telescope facilities, but these space centers are where the astronauts are supported while in space. Inside these space centers there is an area (sometimes a room, sometimes several rooms) called the mission control center, or MCC, where the support team plans details of the mission, sends signals to the space craft to essentially run it from the ground, and communicates with the team in the sky.
One of the most recognizable space centers outside of Houston is NASA’s primary space flight center—the 144,000-acre John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. As such, the space industry has had quite an effect on the economy and culture of Florida. As we will learn more in the next course, the United States space program took off in the 1950s and 60s during the space race with the Soviet Union, and NASA chose Cape Canaveral because it was scarcely-populated, near railroads that could carry supplies, and is situated by the ocean, which is helpful so that debris from launches and landings does not shower over populated land but rather falls into the ocean.
A space shuttle is launching from its pad at Cape Canaveral with water and several shrubs in the foreground.
The geography of Cape Canaveral in Florida has made it a space hot spot!
With the establishment of the space center in Cape Canaveral, thousands of new jobs in Florida were created, and new workers flooded into the state to fill those jobs. New government programs donated money to educate Floridians to fill ever-growing science and technology jobs in the space sector. As a result of this “space boom,” there were opportunities for even those without scientific expertise to profit. The tourism industry expanded as more people flooded to the Florida coast to visit the space station and view launches. As NASA employees aged and retired, many stayed in the area, patronizing local businesses and keeping the economy healthy. Click below to learn more about other NASA facilities across the United States!
The New Space Boom
More players are starting to get involved in the exploration of space that goes beyond the work of NASA. This has led to a new era of space exploration often called, “The New Space Boom.” This period is marked by new and significant advancements in space technology by the creation and growth of private sector space companies including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Virgin Galactic. These companies are changing the way humans have typically gone about space travel. Given that these are businesses, these new players are attempting more cost-effective launches by using renewable space craft. Some companies, such as Virgin Galactic, are even looking to use space as a way to expand tourism. Could you imagine your next family vacation being to the thermosphere or beyond?
Falcon 9 rocket precisely lands on a small barge surrounded by the expanse of the ocean.
Capitalizing on renewability, SpaceX designed its Falcon rockets to land themselves, even in the middle of the ocean on an unmanned barge. Photo by SpaceX, public domain.
Prior to “the New Space Boom” government agencies such as NASA or Roscosmos (the Russian Space Agency) paved the way for innovation, which was successful but moved at a rather slow pace. The competitive space market that is a hallmark of this new era in space exploration is driving technological advancements at a rate that was once thought impossible. Education expansion and job opportunities are occurring in space-related fields much like in the early days of the “Space Race.” One of the advantages to private companies becoming more involved in space exploration is accessibility, which makes it possible for more private interests to participate in space exploration and research.
Moving forward in the 21st century, “The New Space Boom” will likely continue to change the way the world looks at space.
3 of 153 of 15 Items
with what i provided answer thisWhich sector of industry expanded the most due to the “space boom” in Cape Canaveral?
The larger industry that careers like astronomers and astronauts (and the teams that support them) belong to is called the aerospace industry, which covers professions that deal with both commercial and government vehicles that fly within Earth’s airspace (like the plane you took on vacation or the fighter jet you saw at the Fourth of July parade), as well as flight into outer space.
Nine fighter jets fly in tight formation, executing a tight turn with their exhaust plumes on to leave a trail across the sky.
Do you want to explore the sky or travel to the stars?
We are focused on those “extraterrestrial” flights to the stars! If you’ve seen any of these space films, you’ll know that there is a large mission control team on the ground helping to plan space missions, keep astronomers safe in space, and bring them home in one piece.
Zoom out even further, and you’ll find a web of interconnected career paths that all contribute to our body of astronomical knowledge. We’ve already talked about astronomers and astronomical research, but there are also data analysts, policy makers, software engineers, and journalists that enrich the field and help to inspire and cultivate new “space talent.”
No matter whether you’re aiming for a place in the spotlight or the directors’ chair, there’s likely a career in astronomy that’s right for you. For each career path, we’ll explore what people in these jobs do and what skills and interests might indicate that they’re a good fit for you.
Mission Control
You’ve probably heard the famous line from the film Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem.” Who was astronomer Jim Lovell talking to when he recited this phrase? He was communicating with the team on the ground at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, who were in charge of the Apollo 13 mission.
Three people look at a large monitor displaying the International Space Station while monitoring operations.
Does managing the operations and success of a space flight align to your preferences?
The Johnson Space Center is one of NASA’s six space flight centers in the United States. NASA also has research and telescope facilities, but these space centers are where the astronauts are supported while in space. Inside these space centers there is an area (sometimes a room, sometimes several rooms) called the mission control center, or MCC, where the support team plans details of the mission, sends signals to the space craft to essentially run it from the ground, and communicates with the team in the sky.
One of the most recognizable space centers outside of Houston is NASA’s primary space flight center—the 144,000-acre John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. As such, the space industry has had quite an effect on the economy and culture of Florida. As we will learn more in the next course, the United States space program took off in the 1950s and 60s during the space race with the Soviet Union, and NASA chose Cape Canaveral because it was scarcely-populated, near railroads that could carry supplies, and is situated by the ocean, which is helpful so that debris from launches and landings does not shower over populated land but rather falls into the ocean.
A space shuttle is launching from its pad at Cape Canaveral with water and several shrubs in the foreground.
The geography of Cape Canaveral in Florida has made it a space hot spot!
With the establishment of the space center in Cape Canaveral, thousands of new jobs in Florida were created, and new workers flooded into the state to fill those jobs. New government programs donated money to educate Floridians to fill ever-growing science and technology jobs in the space sector. As a result of this “space boom,” there were opportunities for even those without scientific expertise to profit. The tourism industry expanded as more people flooded to the Florida coast to visit the space station and view launches. As NASA employees aged and retired, many stayed in the area, patronizing local businesses and keeping the economy healthy. Click below to learn more about other NASA facilities across the United States!
The New Space Boom
More players are starting to get involved in the exploration of space that goes beyond the work of NASA. This has led to a new era of space exploration often called, “The New Space Boom.” This period is marked by new and significant advancements in space technology by the creation and growth of private sector space companies including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Virgin Galactic. These companies are changing the way humans have typically gone about space travel. Given that these are businesses, these new players are attempting more cost-effective launches by using renewable space craft. Some companies, such as Virgin Galactic, are even looking to use space as a way to expand tourism. Could you imagine your next family vacation being to the thermosphere or beyond?
Falcon 9 rocket precisely lands on a small barge surrounded by the expanse of the ocean.
Capitalizing on renewability, SpaceX designed its Falcon rockets to land themselves, even in the middle of the ocean on an unmanned barge. Photo by SpaceX, public domain.
Prior to “the New Space Boom” government agencies such as NASA or Roscosmos (the Russian Space Agency) paved the way for innovation, which was successful but moved at a rather slow pace. The competitive space market that is a hallmark of this new era in space exploration is driving technological advancements at a rate that was once thought impossible. Education expansion and job opportunities are occurring in space-related fields much like in the early days of the “Space Race.” One of the advantages to private companies becoming more involved in space exploration is accessibility, which makes it possible for more private interests to participate in space exploration and research.
Moving forward in the 21st century, “The New Space Boom” will likely continue to change the way the world looks at space.
3 of 153 of 15 Items
with what i provided answer thisWhich sector of industry expanded the most due to the “space boom” in Cape Canaveral?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The sector of industry that expanded the most due to the “space boom” in Cape Canaveral was the tourism industry. As new jobs were created and people flocked to the area to view launches and visit the space station, the influx of tourists significantly boosted local businesses and contributed to the overall economy of Florida.