My dream is to work on NASA will KSP help me?

[r_rolo1]

12 hours ago, Daniel Nobre said:

Indeed its a goal not a dream. But anything related to space atleast for me is pleasant. Sad thing is that how i can get there, like here in Portugal is hard to find opportunities related to space, and even if i am on FCT university, one of 3 most prestige of my country, i don't know if that is an good way to get in there. Like how i can get attention and everything. The funny thing is that, the challenge for me is not really the math and physics but how i can get closer to them. Now thats what is a challenge. Because it is the unknown.

 

Well, Daniel, the software that the late Space Shuttle used was made in Coimbra by a start up incubated there ( Critical Software ) , so there is hope for you  

[numerobis]

4 hours ago, m4v said:

Then, without trying to sound condescending, I'm presuming you didn't do much rocket science at NASA since the only thing you can learn about rockets in KSP is the rocket equation.

One thing I mentioned in my post is that being active on the forums makes you better at communicating. Apparently I failed, since you only read two sentences of my post.

[Majic]

KSP for the concepts.

College for the math.

NASA for the experience.

Blue Origin or SpaceX for the big bucks. 

[Matuchkin]

On 03/05/2016 at 10:27 PM, Dman979 said:

 

KSP is a step above most other space games, but it is not anything close to real life.

In the scale of realism, I would go (from least to most):

KSP
KSP + Realism Overhaul/Real Solar System/ Principa
Orbiter
Real Life

This is why I keep moaning for a blend of KSP and Orbiter!

[aeroeng14]

I've heard a couple of really great points in this thread and want to express my own. Off the bat, I want to say I love GNC and orbital mechanics and spacecraft systems and I have a bachelors and now masters in aerospace (hence the '14 graduation year in my user name). KSP came out during the middle of my undergrad and was the first way I could visualize and really gain an intuitive understanding of what was happening with orbits, in-space maneuvers, and spacecraft dynamics. That's one of the big reasons I've been successful in interviews and classes. No one asks you out of the blue what is complex equation X, but more conceptual. In an interview once, I was asked about reference frames and what would happen if I threw a baseball backward from the ISS. Where would the ball be 0.5, 1, and 2 orbits later, graph the relative position, and what concept did that tie back to. Experience planning a complex Mun departure and that mission sequence came in handy planning my CubeSat team's trajectory model in STK. It was more complex than 2 body KSP sure, but the basics are there and most students don't have a sense of what's going on even though they've passed the classes. KSP goes a long way to helping with basic topics that actually take more than a couple chapters in my first textbook (Bate, Mueller, & White) to cover. Also, KSP I think gives a decent helping of systems engineering and integration. Being able to look at a big picture and say how does change X impact my recovery system, power, mission plan, etc. is a great trait to have and one most students just do not have even with senior design capstone. "Moar" boosters doesn't work in real life.

With the right mods, like kOS, you can extend KSP to more real world ideas like implementing P/N guidance and Apollo IGM, which were/are used in industry. There isn't anything else like KSP out there and it's a great first step with the (sometimes buggy) physics system. I think most importantly, KSP helps students stay inspired and awed by space and what you could do for a living everyday. The complexity of real world engineering can get you down at times, but then I can come home and build a super cool Jool exploration ship or a Duna colony or an SSTO and remember why I got into this field into the first place.

Best of luck to you!

 

3 hours ago, Majic said:

KSP for the concepts.

College for the math.

NASA for the experience.

Blue Origin or SpaceX for the big bucks.

After working at SpaceX and now having a job offer for SLS trajectory analysis and mission design in Huntsville, I can say that's not quite accurate. Safe to say my compensation for Huntsville was the same as SpaceX but without the LA cost of living.  

[Majic]

16 hours ago, aeroeng14 said:

After working at SpaceX and now having a job offer for SLS trajectory analysis and mission design in Huntsville, I can say that's not quite accurate. Safe to say my compensation for Huntsville was the same as SpaceX but without the LA cost of living.  

Demand equity. 

[James Kerman]

If you can get paid to do something you love then re-numeration is not the highest priority.  KSP opened my mind to space travel in a simplistic way however it inspires me to learn about way more than orbital mechanics and simplified rocket design.  Also the forums are a great place to learn more about the concept and the industry of space flight.

[jwenting]

if you want to become a janitor or gate guard at NASA, sure.

If you want to do a job that actually involves working with spacecraft in any way except cleaning dirt poo off of them in the rocket garden, go to school and get yourself at least one, ideally several, college degrees in hard sciences.

Aeronautics, physics, electrical and mechanical engineering, things like that.

[Sandworm]

8 minutes ago, jwenting said:

if you want to become a janitor or gate guard at NASA, sure.

If you want to do a job that actually involves working with spacecraft in any way except cleaning dirt poo off of them in the rocket garden, go to school and get yourself at least one, ideally several, college degrees in hard sciences.

Aeronautics, physics, electrical and mechanical engineering, things like that.

Or marry/be born into the correct family.  Nasa is a prestige government agency.  A not-small number of employees are very well-connected.  If they don't have relatives in the agency itself, they have family high in government/military circles.  They are certainly highly educated and qualified, but there are lots of highly-educated and qualified people in this world.  Inevitably, the ones that survive the interviews and security checks end up being well-connected.  The conflation of "security" as cover for nepotism is a serious problem in the US fed atm.  A much easier route for an outsider would be to work for a contractor ... normally headed by a well-connected person.

[jwenting]

quite possibly true, but that'd get way too close to politics which we're not supposed to get into on these forums.

[Daniel Nobre]

So the best way is to, invest more in KSP just to have more idea on space relative, and most importantly invest in studies. I'm interested on area of physics, since it was and is easier atleast for me to understand than physics.

Now, about getting noticed, one of arguments that my parents gave was, that if i want to work anything related to space, i could only be an teacher not an worker on NASA or even ESA. "Because its impossible to get atleast close to NASA, ESA, SpaceX , etc etc."

I will surely invest on KSP , for enjoyment and for motivation purposes.

[pandaman]

If you study hard, and try hard and are able to 'shine' more brightly than other candidates in your chosen field then you will be far more likely to get noticed, which will give you a big advantage.

KSP may well help you to understand some stuff more easily, so play lots (when you are not supposed to be studying obviously,  that could be counter productive).

Go for it, and good luck, but remember competition will be stiff and not every applicant will get a place, so even if it doesn't work out it doesn't make you a failure.  Just be realistic and have other plans in mind.

[aeroeng14]

On ‎5‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 8:56 AM, Daniel Nobre said:

Now, about getting noticed, one of arguments that my parents gave was, that if i want to work anything related to space, i could only be an teacher not an worker on NASA or even ESA. "Because its impossible to get atleast close to NASA, ESA, SpaceX , etc etc."

It isn't impossible, just difficult, to get noticed. At least in the US, alumni from universities like to come back and keep connections with their department for recruiting or outreach, therefore pick a university known for space or aerospace wherever you go. Companies also have target universities they focus on too. For example, I have my job now because I received a forwarded email from a friend about an alumni from '97 who was visiting recruiting for Boeing on SLS. I couldn't get noticed through career websites or career fairs even with a 3.94 Master's GPA and working at SpaceX, but having a personal connection along with skill/talent makes the difference.

From my experience getting noticed is completely and utterly arbitrary; having a super high GPA, or a minor, or being president of many student groups/projects may not set yourself apart from other applicants if there's no intern experience. If HR sees whatever they're looking for (and it is not the same as what a manager wants), then you've got it made. By the way no one tells you what that magic trait is. Many US aerospace companies a la Boeing, Lockheed, etc. only care for applicants to have above a ~3.2-3.3/4.0 GPA. They will train you to do everything they need so engineering smarts or work ethic aren't highly prized. Heck, I know some interns who were almost guaranteed a job post graduation if they just showed up for 3 months during the summer.

The biggest challenge for you working in the US at NASA, SpaceX, etc. may be ITAR restrictions and I don't know a lot about how to make that work. The best advice is to be persistent. If you want to work in space, then go after it. Seek resources, send letters or emails asking about the skills or experience necessary. A bit of luck doesn't hurt.