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Space

Science & Exploration

Reach for the stars.

Launch into a career in space exploration. Astronauts get a lot of the glory, but they can’t get off the ground without ground control and communications. You could be designing spacesuits, inventing space toilets, or analyzing soil from Mars. How about a job as a space journalist, space photographer, or space chef?

The options in the space industry are literally limitless.

Watch: Together into Space

It takes hundreds of people to get someone into space. A former NASA astronaut lists a few of the key jobs that help her and her crewmates succeed.

Featured Content

Split image: Left, Joan Melendez Misner looking at a liquid in a test tube. Right, she stands in front of a large spacecraft.

Real Talk with Joan Melendez Misner

Joan Melendez Misner is an aerospace integration engineer at NASA and a part-time science communicator.
Astronaut Sian Proctor waving to a crowd

Watch: Earth Jobs Today, Space Jobs Tomorrow

Astronaut Sian Proctor shares jobs in key areas—food, water, energy, shelter, and waste management—both on Earth and beyond.
Dr. David Picken kneels next to an astronaut sitting in a chair.

I'm a Flight Surgeon

With a keen understanding of how flight affects the human body, flight surgeons take care of pilots and astronauts.

Jobs at a Glance

  • aerospaceengineer1

    Aerospace Engineer

    Aerospace Engineer

    Space

    Aerospace engineers design aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. They also evaluate designs to see that the products meet engineering principles.

    • Median (Middle) Salary:$122,270
    • You Should Study:Math, Physics, Computer Science
    • Job Growth Rate by 2030:8%
    • This Job Is:
      Heating Up
  • astronomer1

    Astronomer

    Astronomer

    Space

    Astronomers study planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. Some astronomers study distant galaxies and phenomena such as black holes. Others monitor space debris.

    • Median (Middle) Salary:$147,450
    • You Should Study:Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science
    • Job Growth Rate by 2030:8%
    • This Job Is:
      Heating Up
  • Meteorologist3

    Atmospheric Scientist and Meteorologist

    Atmospheric Scientist and Meteorologist

    Climate

    Atmospheric scientists and meteorologists study and conduct research on the weather and climate. Some meteorologists report the weather to the public on the news.

    • Median (Middle) Salary:$94,570
    • You Should Study:Math, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science
    • Job Growth Rate by 2030:8%
    • This Job Is:
      Heating Up
  • aerospaceengineer1

    Aerospace Engineer

    Aerospace Engineer

    Space

    Aerospace engineers design aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. They also evaluate designs to see that the products meet engineering principles.

    • Median (Middle) Salary:$122,270
    • You Should Study:Math, Physics, Computer Science
    • Job Growth Rate by 2030:8%
    • This Job Is:
      Heating Up
  • astronomer1

    Astronomer

    Astronomer

    Space

    Astronomers study planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. Some astronomers study distant galaxies and phenomena such as black holes. Others monitor space debris.

    • Median (Middle) Salary:$147,450
    • You Should Study:Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science
    • Job Growth Rate by 2030:8%
    • This Job Is:
      Heating Up
  • Meteorologist3

    Atmospheric Scientist and Meteorologist

    Atmospheric Scientist and Meteorologist

    Climate

    Atmospheric scientists and meteorologists study and conduct research on the weather and climate. Some meteorologists report the weather to the public on the news.

    • Median (Middle) Salary:$94,570
    • You Should Study:Math, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science
    • Job Growth Rate by 2030:8%
    • This Job Is:
      Heating Up

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Watch: Together into Space

It takes hundreds of people to get someone into space. A former NASA astronaut lists a few of the key jobs that help her and her crewmates succeed.
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Astronaut Sian Proctor shares jobs in key areas—food, water, energy, shelter, and waste management—both on Earth and beyond.
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I'm a Flight Surgeon

With a keen understanding of how flight affects the human body, flight surgeons take care of pilots and astronauts.
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Check It Out: Space Movies and TV Shows

This collection of awe-inspiring movies and TV shows will transport you out of your room and into the stars.
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Check It Out: Space Books and Podcasts

This collection of entertaining books and podcasts will get you thinking about a career that’s out of this world.
Split image: Left, Joan Melendez Misner looking at a liquid in a test tube. Right, she stands in front of a large spacecraft.

Real Talk with Joan Melendez Misner

Joan Melendez Misner is an aerospace integration engineer at NASA and a part-time science communicator.
Astronaut Chris Cassidy sitting by a bay of windows on the International Space Station.

Real Talk with Chris Cassidy

“It doesn’t matter if you’re used to flying in airplanes upside down and sideways. Space sickness can happen to anyone.”
Astronaut Mae Jemison floating in the space shuttle. Inset: a portrait of Jemison.

Real Talk with Mae Jemison

"[Life is] not about a job. It’s not even what you study. It’s the kind of person you want to be inside."
NASA engineer Jennifer Heldmann

Real Talk with Jennifer Heldmann

"We don’t yet know if there’s life on other planets in our solar system.... It would be exciting to understand our place in the universe."
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Meetup with Jordan Noone

Kids spoke live with Jordan Noone, a former SpaceX propulsion engineer and cofounder of Relativity Space. Watch the replay.
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I'm a Science Journalist

As a kid, Jeffrey Kluger was fascinated by space travel. He turned his childhood interest into a career.
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Watch: Astronaut Advice

TFK Kid Reporter Miguel Madero asks NASA astronaut Anne McClain about young people's role in the future of space exploration.
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José Andrés, Space Chef

“I love science fiction, and I always had dreams of what it would be like cooking for a faraway planet.”
Sarah Al Amiri

Making an Impact

Sarah Al Amiri, head of the UAE Space Agency, made history as the youngest lead scientist to send a spacecraft to Mars.
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Planet Hunters

In 2016, NASA announced its discovery of more than 1,200 new exoplanets. How many more will planet-hunters discover?
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Space for Everyone

NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy says it’s important for future scientists and astronauts to have role models.
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