People practicing KSP in real life?

[VikingStormtrooper]

Does anyone here practice KSP and space-related things in real life too? Are you aerospace engineers, rocket science amateurs, aviators, pilots, airplane mechanics or whatever?

Personally, I am going to get a Master of Science in Space Engineering - currently working on my thesis. I wonder if someone else here is mad enough to kerbalize his life to this point! 

[Dman979]

As a matter of fact, I am currently going for my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. Trying to concentrate on the "space" part of "aerospace."

Edited February 8, 2017 by Dman979

[adsii1970]

Just now, Dman979 said:

As a matter of fact, I am currently going for my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. Trying to concentrate on the "space" part of "aerospace."

Can't imagine why you re not going to focus on the aero part yet...

[kerbiloid]

Not surprised if the next NASA rocket will be an asparagus of orange and gray tanks held together with struts...

And with parachute containers aside the capsule.

Edited February 8, 2017 by kerbiloid

[VikingStormtrooper]

6 hours ago, Dman979 said:

As a matter of fact, I am currently going for my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. Trying to concentrate on the "space" part of "aerospace."

Right! Why stopping here, in our little atmosphere, when you can cover entire astronomical units of vacuum just to reach different, exotic atmospheres???Because staying above the clouds is not crazy enough. Staying above the sky is better!

[VaPaL]

I'm a mechanical engineer and I'm currently working on a small turbopump for a second stage engine!

Besides that I used to do some skywatching when I had more time and was planning on going into astrophotography as a hobby.

[VikingStormtrooper]

1 hour ago, VaPaL said:

I'm a mechanical engineer and I'm currently working on a small turbopump for a second stage engine!

Besides that I used to do some skywatching when I had more time and was planning on going into astrophotography as a hobby.

Very very nice! 

Do you have a telescope? I live in a place that is incredibly full of lights, unfortunately, but I would like to do skywatching as well (possibly moving to the mountains)!

[VaPaL]

@VikingStormtrooper Yep, I have a Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector with some eyepieces of the same series (not the best ones). When I bought it some years ago, my house was almost leaving the city, so light polution was still a problem (only half of the sky is somewhat decent) but at least I was able to keep my night vision intact. Now the city has 'caught up' and is hard to see something more than planets, the moon and some binary stars and clusters (I'm still able to see Orion Nebula though).

I would like to take it to the countryside, but I need to improve the box that I storage it. I know it's not needed, but I would like a safer and more cushioned way to transport it, so it keep aligned for longer. Time is another factor, I have very little time these days  

[Spacetraindriver]

Well one of the appeals of KSP and most other video games is that you can do stuff you can't do in real life.