Google just sent some fireworks across the screen. Was it for the Mars rover landing? I think so as it repeats every time the search term is retrieved. You can imagine being involved in that project. The cheering staff in the pictures are referred to as NASA engineers. That's quite prestigious to me even in comparison to the rocket scientist title of the past.
What about a career at NASA? This is from their website:
Career Corner for Students Grades 5-8
Have you ever thought that one day you might work for NASA? Many students have written, asking "What do I need to study to work for NASA?" The fact is NASA needs workers that have a wide variety of knowledge and skills. NASA isn't just astronauts and scientists. NASA has engineers, mathematicians, accountants, historians, writers, computer support technicians, project managers, artists, educators, human resource personnel, public relations managers, physicians, lawyers -- and more. The most important thing for preparing to find a job at NASA is that you study what you like and work hard to achieve your goals.
It's true - there are a lot of jobs at NASA. Here are some of the positions being recruited:
Manager of Rocket Propulsion Test Office
Director of the Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications
Extra Vehicular Activity Safety and Mission Assurance Lead
Lead Aerospace Engineer
Chief Engineer
There's 37 jobs listed - everything from Deputy Directors to Branch Chiefs. Lots of good salaries - up to $190,000 US and the lowest looked like the Administrative Specialist at almost $74,000.
That's 37 jobs listed with a workforce of 17,000 people and it excludes government contractors. The total NASA budget for 2020 was $22.6 billion. There are articles praising NASA as a great place to work. Things like: projects are incredibly interesting, challenging and critical to the success of an experiment or mission. "Great assignments" - that would be an understatement, don't you think?
This is one of the locomotives from the Kaitangata Line in Otago New Zealand. This locomotive was donated to the preservation society at Shantytown, near Greymouth where it operates as a tourist train. These pictures are from our visit in 2009.
