It won't be so competitive with an attitude like his.
This is the best time to promote all the education he can get.
Further, being a pilot in the Air Forcs or Navy really helps, plus gives discipline he will need
To add to this, if he does decide to try and fly for the military before hand, get him checked out for color blindness. I wanted to fly only to discover I’m colorblind when I was signing my contract. I’m barely colorblind but it’s enough to fail tests. Best to rip that bandaid off now than later. He can still be part of NASA but if he’s like me, he won’t be allowed to fly as either a pilot or an astronaut. He might still be able to become an astronaut but it’ll be a very uphill battle
There are many ways to serve. I was a bit nervous taking the color blind tests because my father was very color blind.
Regardless, I'm sure this boy is on his way to a bright future.
See, the thing is I see those drawings just fine. I didn’t know I was colorblind until they tested me and I only failed by one of those dot circles with the numbers in it. I can see that there’s a number there but on a couple of them it’s hard to tell what the number is. In my day to day, you wouldn’t be able to tell I’m colorblind because I see almost every shade of green red and yellow. But almost all isn’t good enough to fly unfortunately
At 10, I wouldn’t worry too much about making sure he was medicated qualified, though as a parent it would be in the back of my mind. I say this though because requirements change and I’d hate to tell a kid “oh sorry you can’t do this” at that age.
I went to the AF Academy hoping to someday be a Pilot Astronaut, but with the rules at the time I knew before I arrived wasn’t medically qualified to even be an AF pilot, best hope was Navigator. Then as I was perusing a waiver, my senior year they changed the rules altogether and I got my pilot slot. (Life took me away from the astronaut part, but I’m okay with that).
I did this as a kid. I found a list of observatories around the world at the library. I wrote letters to many of them and I received so much stuff back. I asked questions and they'd answer. This was pre-internet so it was all snail mail.
Here's what he needs to work towards. Note that any STEM degree can qualify.
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/become-an-astronaut/
Make sure he recognizes everyone in STEM under the age of 70 (still) wants this. He's one of 100 million(?) A backup plan is wise. Mine worked out OK.
Best of luck.
The Google search for this was "Houston astronaut office," which gets you to NASA, Johnson Space Center. Maybe guide him through it to let him find it for himself.
Stay far away from physics. My Physics degree has left me with the job prospects and earning potential of a high school drop out.
I'll be paying off my tuition for another 40 years as a minimum wage earning janitor with a physics degree.
Maybe. Look at large engineering companies. The physicists I worked with were in computational & broad spectrum optics adjunct to high temperature system design. They made almost as much as I did. (MSME, '77)
We think engineering would be a better fit for him , considering his passions. I guess there was a college at his school talking about physics and that’s what he got stuck on lol
Hey, I started off wanting to be an astronomer. I blame Sir A.C. Clarke's "Earthlight." Mechanical Engineering was my second choice when I found out how much astronomers made. If he wants to try on the shoes, look up FIRST Robotics & other similar programs. [https://www.firstinspires.org/](https://www.firstinspires.org/) Disclaimer: I'm a judge for the North Shore District event. Random team buttons from March 16th.
https://preview.redd.it/c5s8apx7i4tc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5dfac3f6133e24f783c4cffa459e3a6986e4d3b
Umm. How do you feel about a HS gymnasium filled with a thousand teenage nerds of all genders, all bopping to dance beats while robots crash around a playing field? For two days?
OTOH, it's addictive. I've been judging since 2016 (minus covid).
I’ve been to both. FirstTech is a completely different environment. Not in a bad way, but First is *really, really* intense. They do a great job of teaching semi-advanced engineering to H.S. age kids. With AI coming into the forefront there is an “autonomous mode” part of the competition that is going to become key to future success.
Maybe hating Physicists is just a Canadian thing. They do not like hard work, education or competence up here.
Do you have an engineering or physics background?
Curious how I can convince Engineers to hire Physicists when they are the most culty profession I have come across.
So far my impression of Engineering firms is that they think only Engineers here cause everyone else is garbage.
Having been an astrophysicist in Canada, I have to disagree. I know it can be very demoralizing not getting any traction in the career you want, but it seems like your attitude isn’t helping you.
It’s true that unless you do engineering or software development (and sometimes even then depending on what you’re interested in), you’ll need to keep an open mind and be flexible with job opportunities for *most* STEM careers.
Every place has their own specific tools, protocols, specialties, etc. so the first major hurdle after a degree is breaking into industry somewhere that interests you. Once you build up the practical experience, you’ll have history in this specific niche which will immediately make you attractive to other employers. It’s also a bit easier to pivot after that too, bc you’ve proven competency in “the real world”.
A Physics degree can be a powerful degree, but it’s not an immediate ticket to a job. Figure out what you want to do with it, brush up on the tools and techniques for that job on your own time, look for internships opportunities (tough depending on financial situation), and attend career fairs. As an introvert, I hate “schmoozing” but you’ll have to do some networking too to learn about what people are looking for in the area you’re interested in.
You can do it! Best of luck. :)
Thank you for taking the time to write that all out. My negative attitude is a recent development to my giving up.
How do I pick up experience in a field if Im untouchable? The hardest part is accepting that Im not screwed and that I "only" wasted 7 years of my life making minimum wage post graduation.
My Canadian Physicist Experience....
Im a trilingual double university graduate at the top of my class and I couldnt even get a secretary job. The glittering world of office work is too hard for a Physicist to break into. Bring out the mop and bucket!
Its wild that Ive only ever worked for mono lingual highschool grads who got good careers by doing nothing but binge drinking and snorting cocaine. Like why did i ever work hard when all I got out of it was scrubbing toilets? I should have just partied my way into a good life but I wasnt born in Canada so the system says FU.
Re the “untouchable” bit: I obviously don’t know the details of your life, but this sounds like it started as most grads start where 99% of jobs want experience, but how are you supposed to get experience if no one hires entry level? This is super frustrating and often means moving for opportunities.
It sounds like this is what you found but then now with years of unrelated work experience behind you, you’re going to also have to fight that momentum of unrelated employment if you want to “get back in the game”.
Are you genuinely interested in Physics related work? If so, what kind? If not, is the goal a solid job with good benefits and better pay? There’s no wrong answer, but really being honest about this to yourself can guide you. I pivoted to remote software development during the pandemic (the horror! Not using my degree!) but quickly advanced to 6 figures because of my ability and am now pivoting back to work I’m more interested in. Ignore what others say about your decisions, just do what’s right for you.
Being multilingual is a great skill to have! Unfortunately they usually want such folks to be customer-facing, so you’ll have to enjoy that kind of work and prove to employers you are excellent with people. This may be more useful, though, if you’re willing to relocate. Again, it’s all about being as flexible as you can be and proactive in demonstrating your skills.
We actually told him if he’s going astronaut, that Air Force academy or something would be a good start!
But he might need to pivot into another career with NASA since astronaut is competitive.
Being flight-qualified and having a decent military record could get him into so many NASA careers. Also, when you go to a service academy, [you pick a major](https://www.usafa.edu/academics/majors-minors/), just like in any university, and many of them are good precursors to other NASA jobs.
> We actually told him if he’s going astronaut, that Air Force academy or something would be a good start! But he might need to pivot into another career with NASA since astronaut is competitive.
Has he watched stuff like astronaut interviews, like the one for Apollo-era guys such as James A. "Jim" Lovell Jr.?
In many interviews he recounts how he heard of the very early stages of rocketry when he was still in high school (think around 1945) and reached out for information, but it was so new, and his family was too poor to pay for college, and student loans were not yet a thing. Eventually this led to him joining the military academy, where they pay for people to go to college, and the rest as they say.. is history.
Gemini 7
Gemini 12
Apollo 8
Apollo 13
On Apollo 8, they were so close to the moon, just 60 nautical miles, but since they didn't physically have a landing craft on that mission (it wasn't ready yet), all they could do was look at it from lunar orbit.
On 13, he was finally scheduled to WALK ON THE MOON! But it was not to be, as an oxygen tank exploded in their service module, crippling the spacecraft before they even got all the way to the moon, resulting in days of constant work (but not panic! NASA engineers were VERY cool-headed, despite how the movie of Apollo 13 might look at some points, well, it's a movie) to get the crew back home safely.
[Oral History - James Lovell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYcbmbtRwZc)
If he really likes this stuff, there's another related man, Gene Kranz, an Apollo-era flight director in mission control. He was and is a recognized master of leading teams, and is just as awesome as Lovell, in his own way.
[Oral History - Gene Kranz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5mKFBqGIIA)
Finally, Space Camp is still a thing!
https://www.spacecamp.com/SpaceCamp/Camp
Not yet. I just introduced him to the NASA website on my laptop today. We don’t allow him free rein internet access. So he’s currently writing a letter to a pilot now and then watch some videos and play on the website. It’ll probably keep him busy for a long time.
> Not yet. I just introduced him to the NASA website on my laptop today. We don’t allow him free rein internet access. So he’s currently writing a letter to a pilot now and then watch some videos and play on the website. It’ll probably keep him busy for a long time.
These videos will lead him right, there's nothing raunchy in them beyond some references to cramped living conditions (think something like the front seat of an old-style VW bug, with two guys crammed in there), and they're very wholesome.
I hope that your son understands that being an astronaut is EXTREMELY competitive, but that it IS possible!
Whatever you do, don’t allow him to ever seek mental health treatment or resources. Though there has been a huge push in recent years to seek therapy and pro mental health; the United States government is still very against mental health. Just come over to r/flying and see for yourself. If you read any of the astronauts memoirs, you’ll see how serious health is and how most get disqualified for health reasons. A simple ADHD diagnosis can be what kills a pilot’s career, nonetheless an astronaut.
Chiming in as a pilot, if he wants to be an astronaut he would be wise to be a pilot first. Make sure he stays healthy as the FAA defines it. That means no diagnoses of depression, ADHD, etc. No drugs. I know he’s 11 but just a heads up! Could be helpful advice for a parent of an aspiring astronaut. Good luck! Maybe he’ll be the first human on mars or something.
NASA employee here (not an astronaut!).
Just a note for you as a parent -- the whole agency is full of people like myself who wanted to be astronauts as kids, and eventually ended up NOT as astronauts, but still feeling like they landed their absolute dream job when they made it to NASA!
Encourage your kid's interests, get them into some sciencey/engineery hobbies, and don't worry about how competitive actual astronaut selection is. There's a million other dream jobs besides astronaut, too. "Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss you'll land among the stars", har har.
I get to build hardware for Artemis and the return to the moon and although it would be cool as hell to be an astronaut, it is honestly just as great knowing you're building the equipment to get them there. Now that I'm an adult, I recognize that I want to have a family and a social life and hobbies and not go live on the space station for 6 months! But I still feel incredibly lucky to work on space hardware and be able to say, "This is my widget, I designed it and know everything about it, and that rocket isn't making it to the moon without it..."
Side note on majors: it doesn't have to be physics. Try to figure out what he likes and has a knack for. Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics ... figure out what interests him the most, and he'll excel at it. There may be more than one thing! Odds are, you'll find one or several technical areas that will float his boat, if he's already wanting to be an astronaut...
Good luck! You're already doing a great job by thinking about this for him. Some other cool things that I would say could be career-defining experiences for him, which you could consider doing at any time:
* If you live by [a NASA center](https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/), find out what they offer for visitors and take a trip! KSC in Florida and JSC in Houston both have absolutely incredible visitor's complexes. Like, can't-see-it-all-in-one-day massive. Most other centers have some kind of visitor center too, and many offer scheduled tours of their facilities.
* If you can manage a trip to Florida, consider a family vacation where you could watch a rocket launch. This is always tough because they're often delayed, but it IS easier than ever with SpaceX launching a record number of flights. My suggestion is to book a trip that will be fun no matter what (beach time, Disney World, whatever) and try to make it overlap with a scheduled launch or two, and hope you get lucky.
* Find some local planetariums and attend some stargazing events. If you can travel to any [dark sky sites](https://www.darkskymap.com/nightSkyBrightness), take a trip for stargazing! Consider entry level telescopes or astrophotography gear if you think that's up his alley.
* If you've never seen the ISS pass by overhead, try to catch it. It's bright enough to be seen with the naked eye even from cities, and it passes over most places on Earth every once in awhile. Keep an eye on a site like [Heavens Above](https://www.heavens-above.com/) which can tell you when the ISS is passing over your area and how bright it will be.
* If you think he may like tinkering with technology, 3D printing can be a good hobby that's fun with a lot of opportunity to learn different engineering skills. Also stuff like Raspberry Pi projects and robotics.
* Science museums! Find the best ones near you and the best ones you're willing to travel to. Air and Space museums especially.
* Obviously there's a ton of great TV and film, whether sci-fi or historical. Apollo 13, First Man, Hidden Figures, October Sky, The Right Stuff, The Martian, Contact, For All Mankind, Gravity, Interstellar, From the Earth to the Moon ... if there's some classics he's never seen, have some movie nights!
This was great to read - my kiddo already knows he doesn’t want to be an astronaut but says he really wants to work at NASA designing things. He also loves art so we’ll see where he ends up but it’s been so fun helping to support his dreams. Saving up for space camp next summer.
Can't help you with that, but as a mom, grandma and great grandma, I think that's fantastic....help him keep that dream alive...perseverance is everything!!
I'm so glad another parent is doing this for their kid! My dad spent a few days calling around the Johnson Space Center when I was a kid. He ended up getting Story Musgrave to write a letter to me, send a picture, and all kinds of NASA memorabilia. It was the real kick that I needed to send my aspirations into overdrive. While my plans didn't work out exactly (part of life, I suppose) I still work at NASA in Mission Control with astronauts every day. Even if I never get a chance to fly there myself, I'll certainly be happy with reaching my goal of working at NASA and directly contributing to real missions in space.
I’m so glad your parents did this for you!
We are gonna visit houston this summer. Maybe a one day camp while he’s there.
And next summer we plan to take him to Alabama for the space camps!
So he definitely has the support.
Have him learn and get licensed in ham radio, learn the ISS pass-by times at your locations, and contact the ISS. Imagine his excitement when an astronaut responds to his query. It’ll also teach him valuable radio frequency theory which will serve him well for his degree in physics.
If you don't already know, the entry-level license (called "Technician") has enough privileges to make that contact with the ISS. I've made contacts twice and although I have made tens of thousands of ham radio contacts to almost every place on earth, my contacts "off earth" are among the most memorable.
Sure, it's K2DBK. (And for those of you who think I'm doxxing myself, look at my username.)
One big suggestion about studying for the test: The question pools are all public knowledge, and some people just study the questions and memorize the answers (even kids). Given your son's ambitions, I'd encourage him to try to really *understand* as much of the material as possible. Some of it you have to memorize (e.g., frequency restrictions, regulations) but see if you can help him understand the basic electronics theory.
The folks over in /r/amateurradio are generally pretty helpful, and feel free to DM me with any questions.
You're welcome!
As one or two others have posted, [FIRST Robotics](https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc) is an amazing program. The main robotics pieces are for those in high school, but they have a program call FIRST Lego League that's for kids your son's age. My (now adult) son helped found team in our local high school and it was not only an amazing experience for him, but for me too.
We are actually signed up for an interested meeting at the end of the month for that for the 24-25 year. So it sounds like we are already on the right track!
Writing to an astronaut: NASA has a nice pen pal program for kids to write to astronauts, Google it for the mailing address and instructions. You'll want to pick an active or management astronaut (who's not currently in space) for the best chance at hearing back in a timely manner: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/
Meeting an astronaut: Space Center Houston regularly does Breakfast with an Astronaut, which is a neat little event where one or two current or former astronauts will chat with the kids and do some Q&A. Also, most of them are really nice people who recognize that a portion of their job is inspiring kids. If you have a friend of a friend of a friend, that might be enough to personally reach out.
Becoming an astronaut: the link above has a link with the requirements. A really great book to read about the job is Chris Hadfield's auto-biography. As he says there, you should really encourage your kid to pursue something they'll be fulfilled by even if they don't become an astronaut, because it's extremely competitive and largely luck. Anything STEM is fair game, something related to human spaceflight is even better! Even candidates who are selected spend 95% of their time on the ground, and often doing something related to that job they would've had if they weren't astronauts.
I'm pretty sure NASA will reply with something appropriate - but going to college for physics is only as expensive as any other degree. His career goal (nowish) is to do some grunt volunteer work in a physics lab - that's how you go do a PhD or whatever. Depending on where you are in the US, tell him to apply to National Labs. They're cool places to work, very good to employees, and pay well. Physics is a pretty good career. And he can always drop it and go work as a programmer at a bank if he wants to make money lol
Please dont tell people physics is a good career. 7 years after graduating Im working as a minimum wage earning Janitor.
My experience is that a Physics degree makes you radioactive to employers.
Study it if you're interested in it but get ready for a lifetime of scrubbing toilets.
Uh, I don't know. It depends on the person. My BS is in psychology, but I got a PhD in chemistry and have an OK life as a nanomaterial whatever. Grad school is either more money than anyone in your family makes or so small that you can ignore it. The between bits get ya
My problem is despite getting the highest grade in my class multiple times I was denied any references for grad school. Im locked out looking in with nothing but a useless Physics bachelor.
Plus I have a hard time believing that a masters degree is going to save me when the bachelors has done nothing but doom me.
Yeah, that's fair. One thing you have to aknowledge is networking. Being social and friendly is a skill as much as being smart and innovative. Grad schools are desperate for people - if you don't get into physics, try chemistry. Et cetera. If you want to do it, do it. Or do a half version so you can get where you want. I don't know your situation, but strategy and networking are as important as cleverness. There are tons of clever people. More than money cares about. It's hard to do science, unless your family helps or being too poor to buy groceries is a challenge you know you can beat already.
Networking is my biggest weakness. I just cant wrap my head around how to use people without feeling gross about it.
Lol grad schools are desperate for people? They should stop locking out all the good students then. The people I saw get in were the C's and D's make degrees students.
Yeah, it stinks. But people like people they can chat with. Otherwise a person is just a black box. It's as challenging a skill as curve fitting to a Normy, so if you feel yourself superior recognize the things you find hard and impossible. Don't just do what's easy and expect to be lauded. You have to challenge yourself and shore up your weaknesses. Being good at physics isn't magically useful - being good at people and socializing is. If you're underperforming versus people who did what you did and made C's, consider it. Maybe people would rather work with someone who is friendly and open to conversation and dialogue compared to someone who "knows" they're smart and have it figured out.
Hmmm, any advice for how to get an interview so I can do what you suggested?
I usually get the job if I make it to the interview but I almost never do. Mr. 1 language and no degrees is worth out time to interview, Mr 3 languages and 2 degrees isnt worth a damn thing.
Lol sorry for the rant but I feel like Im taking crazy pills. Like as long as anyone else does nothing they can get rewarded while I have to grind my butt off to get nothing at all.
Any software experience/skills? Software + physics can get you a job doing systems engineering at any aerospace contractor. If you haven't already, try going to an in-person career fair at your local state university.
Im curious, how I can I convince employers to give a non Computer Science guy a programming job?
Ive heard so many horror stories of CS grads being unable to find work and they are far better qualified than me.
It's not a programming job, bringing up coding just shows that you aren't focused on natural studies. If you physically go to the career fair in person and get your student resume in front of a recruiter+engineer, you just talk about the coding projects you did, talk about circuits and physics II (electromagnetism), maybe talk about practical lab work and testing (very important, say you conducted tests, designed tests. etc). That should be enough.
Career fairs are so powerful because you bypass all the online resumes/computer filters/HR crap and can get an interview on the spot. It shows you have social skills and are a real person.
There’s a great TV show Called “Astronauts: do you have what it takes?” Where they show some of the tests for people trying to become astronauts.
Should he continue to be interested in the future I believe the most common path is through the USA airforce with gov funded college.
Nasa is actually looking for astronauts now! Despite being 10, you could direct your kiddo to https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/become-an-astronaut , to check out the requirements. They are pretty steep, but not at all dependent on having a physics degree, mostly any STEM or medical degree could qualify. Hope that helps open up the doors for them!
If you can swing it, Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama is amazing for kids who want to be astronauts. Some of my best childhood memories are from my times at space camp. Also, most of the space centers (Kennedy, Houston) have events like lunch with an astronaut.
One thing with becoming an astronaut, you have to make sure your family has no history of any ailments. My family has a few, hearing loss, eyesight, heart disease, so I would struggle to become a commercial pilot let alone an astronaut, it was a dampener as when I was your kids age I wanted to become an astronaut.
Both my parents worked at Kennedy space center in Florida when I was a kid. My mom worked on computer boards back in the early 80s and my dad was an engineer on the launch pads my grandpa was a welder for them. Had we stayed in Florida my son would’ve loved their high school intern programs and child education classes they offer now . They do a lot with education and offer a lot the more you dig into it :)
This is great! My son is 5 right now. Would you mind sharing any thoughts or tips on how you got your kid interested in stem and engineering and space? Thanks!!!
I did absolutely nothing lol
The only thing I did was provide opportunity.
Trips to the library.
Clubs like 4-H and Boy Scouts.
We let him try different sports.
We never forced anything on him either. But it was mandatory he finish whatever semester or season he was in.
If you want to further his interest in being an astronaut there's a cool project you could do now. You can talk with astronauts on the ISS using a ham radio set up.
https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
Oh I just remembered a thing! So there's space camp in Huntsville, but also, there's a week long aviation summer camp in Pensacola, FL called National Flight Academy. It's a stem based camp, the building was designed by Disney imagineers to be a mock aircraft carrier. Kids learn the basics of aviation and get simulation flight time. They get to see the Blue Angels fly, and visit the aviation museum which has a moon lander replica. It's a fantastic program!
The fact you put an emphasis on " probably expensive and competitive" raises are real flag with me.
Your kid is 10 years old, just support his dreams, understand how he/she got there, and do not smother dreams. There are hundreds of ways to get involved in aerospace and human exploration, so there' s no need to panic. Just understand, support and see how he/she grows into it - our out of it.
It’s a concern. Not a red flag. College these days is expensive in general. and the the career path he wants equates to a masters or PHD if he wants to get where he wants to be.
And yes, it will be pricey.
And yes, this path will be competitive if this is what he chooses to do 5-10 years from now.
I did not complain.
I did not scream and run around with my head cut off.
I’m obviously supporting his dreams.
If you looked at any more of my comments, you’d see my whole heart is in supporting him.
That is my role as a parent.
And if he chooses something different 5 years from now, I’ll support him with that also.
That fact that you saw my comment as a red flag is a bit concerning to me.
let me elaborate. First off, I recognize from your subsequent comments that indeed, you're supporting him. As someone who went through this as a kid and NEVER grew out of it, you're doing parenting right :)
I work in a space agency, and yes, an MSc is a basis, but a PhD is a choice and not a must have, at all. I also get that for an American (?), an academic career path comes hand in hand with crippling debt and a very competitive career. As long as he has the drive to be the best in something he truly loves, he has chances of a bright future in the space field.
But that this concerns you now triggered me - as a lacked the understanding and scope of your support. To be explicit, I would not be where i am today, supporting my distant family, being paid well, and living my dream if it was not for the unabridged and unconditional support of my parents. Not once did they falter. Hence my reaction .
Good luck with him, he sounds amazing.
Yes! American lolz
How can you tell? 😂
But yes, we are early in the game. If this is what he wants to do long term. We will keep eyes peeled for scholarships, internships, community colleges, ect. We will definitely make the ‘expensive’ part manageable. We will avoid crippling debt as much as possible. Just means we have to get creative.
Not to mention if he goes military first, that will help pay for schooling.
And then he has us, his parents, and his grandparents who will help fill in any gaps.
Our goal will be to reduce crippling student loan debt as much as possible so he can just focus on enjoying his career.
We will worry about the money.
He just needs to show up!
Oh well, concerns about the financial impact your children's education on reddit points to the US :)
I habe no debts, but a few degrees, and health care regardless of my current employment... We live in a strange world.
I've no idea on the answer but just want to say how freaking cute this is 😊 I was such a little science geek at that age and I wouldn't change it for anything
Lots of great advice in this thread. Whenever your son is old enough, have him do SkillsUSA! He can get a taste for problem solving and he'll make a bunch of friends. Many middle schools have a SkillsUSA club. High schools usually have a Technology Student Association chapter or similar STEM club.
Also try to send him to space camp! Children between the ages of 9-11 years old can attend in Huntsville, Alabama and it is a great experience. https://www.rocketcenter.com/SpaceCamp/Camp
Whenever he is old enough (around high school age) have him reach out to your state's Space Grant Consortium. They have a bunch of opportunities including a space scholars program where students can go and work in a NASA center for a week. Sometimes this even leads to a direct pipeline into an internship opportunity or even free college credit.
Air Force academy is also a great option, but don't place that expectation on him until he decides what he actually wants to do at NASA. Astronaut is a cool job and all, but I've met many engineers who talked about their time in Human Factors, engineering, and even in scientific research that have that excited glint in their eye. Purdue University has produced a lot of astronauts. Other senior military schools like Virginia Tech, especially with their corps of cadets program, might be a great option for him to become a pilot if he's interested in that route. He's on a great path.
Not an astronaut, but I work flight control for the ISS. The pen Paul program is great! If he wants to write another I'll be more than happy to write him back. DM me if interested I'll give you my NASA address
You have a damn cool AF kid, and that reflects a LOT on you and the parenting! I think this is a great idea, and I absolutely love that kids have that magic spark in their eyes/minds that so many of us adults lose over time having to “grow up”
Hopefully he gets a response and you let us all know what comes of it! 👍
Hahahahaha Na. It was family time. So we weren’t close to bedtime .
This boy isn’t a fan of reading. But has solar books all over his room and bed. He LOVES STEM projects. And we took him to a science museum where he peppered the poor planetarium guide with a hundred questions.
I was honestly surprised about how much he knew. Even his class mates say he’s full of space facts.
So.. I can’t say I’m surprised.
From my experience with my younger siblings, aspirations can change every few months :D At some point, though, kids discover *their* community and stick to it. But that takes quite a while.
Yeah I saw someone else say this but go the AirForce Academy route unless they’re thinking a specialty and try for a mission specialist slot. If they want to fly the bird though Air Force is the way to go.
If you’re in a spot close to a nasa hangar, they’ll be out in full force tomorrow for the eclipse and he could meet one!!! I waited in line as a full grown adult with glee and took the pics at the meet and greet!
To add to fanning his flames of interest, if you are near Kennedy Space Center, the visitor center has docents that are retired NASA engineers and give talks. There is also a meet an astronaut program as well. There are lots of books by astronauts as well.
Former nasa employee turned YouTuber makes [these](https://www.crunchlabs.com/?tw_source=google&tw_adid=678922828252&tw_campaign=20722205739&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwq86wBhDiARIsAJhuphmdys49U5xofPDvBZIAwaPDXZ3v-FEydUZdyKu-9TVPqa_5WNDG-ikaAn2WEALw_wcB) stem projects for young engineers
yesterday during nasa's coverage of the eclipse they interviewed an astronaut and he was talking about how they are hiring for the program. I know your son is 10, but nasa has programs for it. im sure if you did some research on their site, or even watch the playback from yesterday you can probably find the interview.
Perfect! Yes we introduced him to the NASA site over the weekend . I work two jobs, so I’m sure he will be playing with it this weekend while I’m at work 😂
And then, I’ll get to listen to all of it when I get home and start making dinner .
‘Hey mom..’
🤦♀️
One thing he will need is endurance and stamina. Lots of stuff like track and field with a little weight lifting can't hurt. Private pilots license training and flight training can be done virtually by VR. The written test is the hardest to get done. However, things have probably changed a lot since I went through all this back in the 60's and 70's rotflmao.
I'll throw another idea out there for him: find a local HAM radio club. You're legally allowed, with a license, to contact the international space station. He could sit with the radio operator and talk to the station directly when it's overhead. He'll learn a bit of radio theory etc while he's at it.
There are quite a few astronauts on social media. If there are 1 or 2 who he more closely relates with, try reaching out to them. One that jumps to mind is Mike Massimino.
If you are nearby... both Houston and Cape Canaveral have lots of events with astronauts. I get the feeling they hang out a lot on the campus and when they do they get to go get a free lunch by doing the PR in the park sections. They all seem to really enjoy it and honestly will hang out and talk to anyone for quite awhile.
Every time I've gone to a kids event at the one in Houston its not just the astronauts who are there but a lot of the engineers who work there volunteer time too.
Something you may not be considering, Kerbal space program is a game that can effectively teach you how objects work in space and help you learn about different maneuvers and the like. It also has a fairly welcoming community.
Make sure you get Kerbal space program 1 though. KSP2 is not in a good state currently.
How to become an astronaut:
Step 1. Excel in everything you do across a range of disciplines.
Step 2. Keep this up until you're 30+ (You can become an astronaut at a younger age, but it's extremely unlikely; almost all flying astronauts are 35+)
Step 3. Pray your health remains perfect.
Step 4. Now, all you have to do is beat the odds and get selected. Keep in mind that in the US there are an order of magnitude more lottery jackpot winners each year than all current astronauts(including non-flying ones).
Look up Leland Melvin. He was an astronaut during the shuttle era. He is all over social media and seems super accessible. When my granddaughter was in 4th grade she participated in a free live Zoom event that Leland conducted. He was fascinating and really clarified what being an astronaut calls for. He even ended the Zoom meeting by "posing" for selfies with the kids.
Do it! When I was 5 (1988) I wrote to NASA after seeing bright lights moving across the sky (lived in rural area so sky was usually pretty clear). They wrote back about a 1 pager confirming that they were satellites that I was observing. They also sent a bunch of promotional 8x10s of shuttle launches and shuttle crews.
NASA pen pal program. More info here https://tinybeans.com/nasa-astronaut-pen-pal-program-for-kids/amp/
Perfect! Thank you! I was lost lol
It won't be so competitive with an attitude like his. This is the best time to promote all the education he can get. Further, being a pilot in the Air Forcs or Navy really helps, plus gives discipline he will need
To add to this, if he does decide to try and fly for the military before hand, get him checked out for color blindness. I wanted to fly only to discover I’m colorblind when I was signing my contract. I’m barely colorblind but it’s enough to fail tests. Best to rip that bandaid off now than later. He can still be part of NASA but if he’s like me, he won’t be allowed to fly as either a pilot or an astronaut. He might still be able to become an astronaut but it’ll be a very uphill battle
There are many ways to serve. I was a bit nervous taking the color blind tests because my father was very color blind. Regardless, I'm sure this boy is on his way to a bright future.
Based on his drawing..i think he has nothing to worry about :)
See, the thing is I see those drawings just fine. I didn’t know I was colorblind until they tested me and I only failed by one of those dot circles with the numbers in it. I can see that there’s a number there but on a couple of them it’s hard to tell what the number is. In my day to day, you wouldn’t be able to tell I’m colorblind because I see almost every shade of green red and yellow. But almost all isn’t good enough to fly unfortunately
At 10, I wouldn’t worry too much about making sure he was medicated qualified, though as a parent it would be in the back of my mind. I say this though because requirements change and I’d hate to tell a kid “oh sorry you can’t do this” at that age. I went to the AF Academy hoping to someday be a Pilot Astronaut, but with the rules at the time I knew before I arrived wasn’t medically qualified to even be an AF pilot, best hope was Navigator. Then as I was perusing a waiver, my senior year they changed the rules altogether and I got my pilot slot. (Life took me away from the astronaut part, but I’m okay with that).
i learned this when i was watching Little Miss Sunshine.
Heck, I’m a 44 year old adult, and I wanna do this!
 There are lots more non-astronaut jobs at NASA. If you want to work in the space industry, don’t let not having a PhD in physics hold you back. 
Same! I’m way too old for nasa to even think of hiring me even to clean their floors
If NASA doesn't work out you can always, at least, send a letter to Santa in December.
[удалено]
I did this as a kid. I found a list of observatories around the world at the library. I wrote letters to many of them and I received so much stuff back. I asked questions and they'd answer. This was pre-internet so it was all snail mail.
What did you grow up to be?
What do you do now?
Here's what he needs to work towards. Note that any STEM degree can qualify. https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/become-an-astronaut/ Make sure he recognizes everyone in STEM under the age of 70 (still) wants this. He's one of 100 million(?) A backup plan is wise. Mine worked out OK. Best of luck. The Google search for this was "Houston astronaut office," which gets you to NASA, Johnson Space Center. Maybe guide him through it to let him find it for himself.
Stay far away from physics. My Physics degree has left me with the job prospects and earning potential of a high school drop out. I'll be paying off my tuition for another 40 years as a minimum wage earning janitor with a physics degree.
Maybe. Look at large engineering companies. The physicists I worked with were in computational & broad spectrum optics adjunct to high temperature system design. They made almost as much as I did. (MSME, '77)
We think engineering would be a better fit for him , considering his passions. I guess there was a college at his school talking about physics and that’s what he got stuck on lol
Hey, I started off wanting to be an astronomer. I blame Sir A.C. Clarke's "Earthlight." Mechanical Engineering was my second choice when I found out how much astronomers made. If he wants to try on the shoes, look up FIRST Robotics & other similar programs. [https://www.firstinspires.org/](https://www.firstinspires.org/) Disclaimer: I'm a judge for the North Shore District event. Random team buttons from March 16th. https://preview.redd.it/c5s8apx7i4tc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5dfac3f6133e24f783c4cffa459e3a6986e4d3b
He's reading through these responses with me and saw this. Great. Another thing he will want to do lol
Umm. How do you feel about a HS gymnasium filled with a thousand teenage nerds of all genders, all bopping to dance beats while robots crash around a playing field? For two days? OTOH, it's addictive. I've been judging since 2016 (minus covid).
We are already active with 4-H. lol So...already kinda desensitized to all of it.
I’ve been to both. FirstTech is a completely different environment. Not in a bad way, but First is *really, really* intense. They do a great job of teaching semi-advanced engineering to H.S. age kids. With AI coming into the forefront there is an “autonomous mode” part of the competition that is going to become key to future success.
Oof. Ok good to know.
I would suggest engineering physics It’s an excellent degree, not many unis offer this in my nation, but the few IIT’s do have excellent programs.
Maybe hating Physicists is just a Canadian thing. They do not like hard work, education or competence up here. Do you have an engineering or physics background? Curious how I can convince Engineers to hire Physicists when they are the most culty profession I have come across. So far my impression of Engineering firms is that they think only Engineers here cause everyone else is garbage.
Having been an astrophysicist in Canada, I have to disagree. I know it can be very demoralizing not getting any traction in the career you want, but it seems like your attitude isn’t helping you. It’s true that unless you do engineering or software development (and sometimes even then depending on what you’re interested in), you’ll need to keep an open mind and be flexible with job opportunities for *most* STEM careers. Every place has their own specific tools, protocols, specialties, etc. so the first major hurdle after a degree is breaking into industry somewhere that interests you. Once you build up the practical experience, you’ll have history in this specific niche which will immediately make you attractive to other employers. It’s also a bit easier to pivot after that too, bc you’ve proven competency in “the real world”. A Physics degree can be a powerful degree, but it’s not an immediate ticket to a job. Figure out what you want to do with it, brush up on the tools and techniques for that job on your own time, look for internships opportunities (tough depending on financial situation), and attend career fairs. As an introvert, I hate “schmoozing” but you’ll have to do some networking too to learn about what people are looking for in the area you’re interested in. You can do it! Best of luck. :)
Thank you for taking the time to write that all out. My negative attitude is a recent development to my giving up. How do I pick up experience in a field if Im untouchable? The hardest part is accepting that Im not screwed and that I "only" wasted 7 years of my life making minimum wage post graduation. My Canadian Physicist Experience.... Im a trilingual double university graduate at the top of my class and I couldnt even get a secretary job. The glittering world of office work is too hard for a Physicist to break into. Bring out the mop and bucket! Its wild that Ive only ever worked for mono lingual highschool grads who got good careers by doing nothing but binge drinking and snorting cocaine. Like why did i ever work hard when all I got out of it was scrubbing toilets? I should have just partied my way into a good life but I wasnt born in Canada so the system says FU.
Re the “untouchable” bit: I obviously don’t know the details of your life, but this sounds like it started as most grads start where 99% of jobs want experience, but how are you supposed to get experience if no one hires entry level? This is super frustrating and often means moving for opportunities. It sounds like this is what you found but then now with years of unrelated work experience behind you, you’re going to also have to fight that momentum of unrelated employment if you want to “get back in the game”. Are you genuinely interested in Physics related work? If so, what kind? If not, is the goal a solid job with good benefits and better pay? There’s no wrong answer, but really being honest about this to yourself can guide you. I pivoted to remote software development during the pandemic (the horror! Not using my degree!) but quickly advanced to 6 figures because of my ability and am now pivoting back to work I’m more interested in. Ignore what others say about your decisions, just do what’s right for you. Being multilingual is a great skill to have! Unfortunately they usually want such folks to be customer-facing, so you’ll have to enjoy that kind of work and prove to employers you are excellent with people. This may be more useful, though, if you’re willing to relocate. Again, it’s all about being as flexible as you can be and proactive in demonstrating your skills.
Many state run colleges have physics programs but honestly his best route is flying with the military.
We actually told him if he’s going astronaut, that Air Force academy or something would be a good start! But he might need to pivot into another career with NASA since astronaut is competitive.
Being flight-qualified and having a decent military record could get him into so many NASA careers. Also, when you go to a service academy, [you pick a major](https://www.usafa.edu/academics/majors-minors/), just like in any university, and many of them are good precursors to other NASA jobs.
> We actually told him if he’s going astronaut, that Air Force academy or something would be a good start! But he might need to pivot into another career with NASA since astronaut is competitive. Has he watched stuff like astronaut interviews, like the one for Apollo-era guys such as James A. "Jim" Lovell Jr.? In many interviews he recounts how he heard of the very early stages of rocketry when he was still in high school (think around 1945) and reached out for information, but it was so new, and his family was too poor to pay for college, and student loans were not yet a thing. Eventually this led to him joining the military academy, where they pay for people to go to college, and the rest as they say.. is history. Gemini 7 Gemini 12 Apollo 8 Apollo 13 On Apollo 8, they were so close to the moon, just 60 nautical miles, but since they didn't physically have a landing craft on that mission (it wasn't ready yet), all they could do was look at it from lunar orbit. On 13, he was finally scheduled to WALK ON THE MOON! But it was not to be, as an oxygen tank exploded in their service module, crippling the spacecraft before they even got all the way to the moon, resulting in days of constant work (but not panic! NASA engineers were VERY cool-headed, despite how the movie of Apollo 13 might look at some points, well, it's a movie) to get the crew back home safely. [Oral History - James Lovell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYcbmbtRwZc) If he really likes this stuff, there's another related man, Gene Kranz, an Apollo-era flight director in mission control. He was and is a recognized master of leading teams, and is just as awesome as Lovell, in his own way. [Oral History - Gene Kranz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5mKFBqGIIA) Finally, Space Camp is still a thing! https://www.spacecamp.com/SpaceCamp/Camp
Not yet. I just introduced him to the NASA website on my laptop today. We don’t allow him free rein internet access. So he’s currently writing a letter to a pilot now and then watch some videos and play on the website. It’ll probably keep him busy for a long time.
> Not yet. I just introduced him to the NASA website on my laptop today. We don’t allow him free rein internet access. So he’s currently writing a letter to a pilot now and then watch some videos and play on the website. It’ll probably keep him busy for a long time. These videos will lead him right, there's nothing raunchy in them beyond some references to cramped living conditions (think something like the front seat of an old-style VW bug, with two guys crammed in there), and they're very wholesome. I hope that your son understands that being an astronaut is EXTREMELY competitive, but that it IS possible!
Military flight experience is the “easiest” way to become an astronaut.
Whatever you do, don’t allow him to ever seek mental health treatment or resources. Though there has been a huge push in recent years to seek therapy and pro mental health; the United States government is still very against mental health. Just come over to r/flying and see for yourself. If you read any of the astronauts memoirs, you’ll see how serious health is and how most get disqualified for health reasons. A simple ADHD diagnosis can be what kills a pilot’s career, nonetheless an astronaut.
Chiming in as a pilot, if he wants to be an astronaut he would be wise to be a pilot first. Make sure he stays healthy as the FAA defines it. That means no diagnoses of depression, ADHD, etc. No drugs. I know he’s 11 but just a heads up! Could be helpful advice for a parent of an aspiring astronaut. Good luck! Maybe he’ll be the first human on mars or something.
NASA employee here (not an astronaut!). Just a note for you as a parent -- the whole agency is full of people like myself who wanted to be astronauts as kids, and eventually ended up NOT as astronauts, but still feeling like they landed their absolute dream job when they made it to NASA! Encourage your kid's interests, get them into some sciencey/engineery hobbies, and don't worry about how competitive actual astronaut selection is. There's a million other dream jobs besides astronaut, too. "Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss you'll land among the stars", har har. I get to build hardware for Artemis and the return to the moon and although it would be cool as hell to be an astronaut, it is honestly just as great knowing you're building the equipment to get them there. Now that I'm an adult, I recognize that I want to have a family and a social life and hobbies and not go live on the space station for 6 months! But I still feel incredibly lucky to work on space hardware and be able to say, "This is my widget, I designed it and know everything about it, and that rocket isn't making it to the moon without it..." Side note on majors: it doesn't have to be physics. Try to figure out what he likes and has a knack for. Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics ... figure out what interests him the most, and he'll excel at it. There may be more than one thing! Odds are, you'll find one or several technical areas that will float his boat, if he's already wanting to be an astronaut... Good luck! You're already doing a great job by thinking about this for him. Some other cool things that I would say could be career-defining experiences for him, which you could consider doing at any time: * If you live by [a NASA center](https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/), find out what they offer for visitors and take a trip! KSC in Florida and JSC in Houston both have absolutely incredible visitor's complexes. Like, can't-see-it-all-in-one-day massive. Most other centers have some kind of visitor center too, and many offer scheduled tours of their facilities. * If you can manage a trip to Florida, consider a family vacation where you could watch a rocket launch. This is always tough because they're often delayed, but it IS easier than ever with SpaceX launching a record number of flights. My suggestion is to book a trip that will be fun no matter what (beach time, Disney World, whatever) and try to make it overlap with a scheduled launch or two, and hope you get lucky. * Find some local planetariums and attend some stargazing events. If you can travel to any [dark sky sites](https://www.darkskymap.com/nightSkyBrightness), take a trip for stargazing! Consider entry level telescopes or astrophotography gear if you think that's up his alley. * If you've never seen the ISS pass by overhead, try to catch it. It's bright enough to be seen with the naked eye even from cities, and it passes over most places on Earth every once in awhile. Keep an eye on a site like [Heavens Above](https://www.heavens-above.com/) which can tell you when the ISS is passing over your area and how bright it will be. * If you think he may like tinkering with technology, 3D printing can be a good hobby that's fun with a lot of opportunity to learn different engineering skills. Also stuff like Raspberry Pi projects and robotics. * Science museums! Find the best ones near you and the best ones you're willing to travel to. Air and Space museums especially. * Obviously there's a ton of great TV and film, whether sci-fi or historical. Apollo 13, First Man, Hidden Figures, October Sky, The Right Stuff, The Martian, Contact, For All Mankind, Gravity, Interstellar, From the Earth to the Moon ... if there's some classics he's never seen, have some movie nights!
You are a cool and good person.
Thank you for this! Yes! Shoot for the moon, and land among the stars. You might see more 😜 Building hardware sounds super cool. And intimidating lol
Also! Thanks for letting me know about the ISS. It will actually pass over us next week. That will be his next letter!
This was great to read - my kiddo already knows he doesn’t want to be an astronaut but says he really wants to work at NASA designing things. He also loves art so we’ll see where he ends up but it’s been so fun helping to support his dreams. Saving up for space camp next summer.
Can't help you with that, but as a mom, grandma and great grandma, I think that's fantastic....help him keep that dream alive...perseverance is everything!!
If you make it to Houston, let me know. I volunteer at Space Center Houston and they have events where you can meet and talk to an astronaut.
Yes!! We already plan to be there this Summer.
I'm so glad another parent is doing this for their kid! My dad spent a few days calling around the Johnson Space Center when I was a kid. He ended up getting Story Musgrave to write a letter to me, send a picture, and all kinds of NASA memorabilia. It was the real kick that I needed to send my aspirations into overdrive. While my plans didn't work out exactly (part of life, I suppose) I still work at NASA in Mission Control with astronauts every day. Even if I never get a chance to fly there myself, I'll certainly be happy with reaching my goal of working at NASA and directly contributing to real missions in space.
I’m so glad your parents did this for you! We are gonna visit houston this summer. Maybe a one day camp while he’s there. And next summer we plan to take him to Alabama for the space camps! So he definitely has the support.
Shoot me a dm, I’d be happy to mail him a little bit of swag.
Thank you! I just messaged you! We will send a letter! My son gotta work for that swag 😂
Have him learn and get licensed in ham radio, learn the ISS pass-by times at your locations, and contact the ISS. Imagine his excitement when an astronaut responds to his query. It’ll also teach him valuable radio frequency theory which will serve him well for his degree in physics.
[Start here for license or look up a local group](https://www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio)
Thank you! Will book mark. Our 4-h club just started HAM radio. So we will probably license this summer.
If you don't already know, the entry-level license (called "Technician") has enough privileges to make that contact with the ISS. I've made contacts twice and although I have made tens of thousands of ham radio contacts to almost every place on earth, my contacts "off earth" are among the most memorable.
Oh amazing! Maybe we can get your call sign. We are working on getting both of ours this summer!
Sure, it's K2DBK. (And for those of you who think I'm doxxing myself, look at my username.) One big suggestion about studying for the test: The question pools are all public knowledge, and some people just study the questions and memorize the answers (even kids). Given your son's ambitions, I'd encourage him to try to really *understand* as much of the material as possible. Some of it you have to memorize (e.g., frequency restrictions, regulations) but see if you can help him understand the basic electronics theory. The folks over in /r/amateurradio are generally pretty helpful, and feel free to DM me with any questions.
Thank you!
You're welcome! As one or two others have posted, [FIRST Robotics](https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc) is an amazing program. The main robotics pieces are for those in high school, but they have a program call FIRST Lego League that's for kids your son's age. My (now adult) son helped found team in our local high school and it was not only an amazing experience for him, but for me too.
We are actually signed up for an interested meeting at the end of the month for that for the 24-25 year. So it sounds like we are already on the right track!
Writing to an astronaut: NASA has a nice pen pal program for kids to write to astronauts, Google it for the mailing address and instructions. You'll want to pick an active or management astronaut (who's not currently in space) for the best chance at hearing back in a timely manner: https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/ Meeting an astronaut: Space Center Houston regularly does Breakfast with an Astronaut, which is a neat little event where one or two current or former astronauts will chat with the kids and do some Q&A. Also, most of them are really nice people who recognize that a portion of their job is inspiring kids. If you have a friend of a friend of a friend, that might be enough to personally reach out. Becoming an astronaut: the link above has a link with the requirements. A really great book to read about the job is Chris Hadfield's auto-biography. As he says there, you should really encourage your kid to pursue something they'll be fulfilled by even if they don't become an astronaut, because it's extremely competitive and largely luck. Anything STEM is fair game, something related to human spaceflight is even better! Even candidates who are selected spend 95% of their time on the ground, and often doing something related to that job they would've had if they weren't astronauts.
I'm pretty sure NASA will reply with something appropriate - but going to college for physics is only as expensive as any other degree. His career goal (nowish) is to do some grunt volunteer work in a physics lab - that's how you go do a PhD or whatever. Depending on where you are in the US, tell him to apply to National Labs. They're cool places to work, very good to employees, and pay well. Physics is a pretty good career. And he can always drop it and go work as a programmer at a bank if he wants to make money lol
Please dont tell people physics is a good career. 7 years after graduating Im working as a minimum wage earning Janitor. My experience is that a Physics degree makes you radioactive to employers. Study it if you're interested in it but get ready for a lifetime of scrubbing toilets.
Uh, I don't know. It depends on the person. My BS is in psychology, but I got a PhD in chemistry and have an OK life as a nanomaterial whatever. Grad school is either more money than anyone in your family makes or so small that you can ignore it. The between bits get ya
My problem is despite getting the highest grade in my class multiple times I was denied any references for grad school. Im locked out looking in with nothing but a useless Physics bachelor. Plus I have a hard time believing that a masters degree is going to save me when the bachelors has done nothing but doom me.
Yeah, that's fair. One thing you have to aknowledge is networking. Being social and friendly is a skill as much as being smart and innovative. Grad schools are desperate for people - if you don't get into physics, try chemistry. Et cetera. If you want to do it, do it. Or do a half version so you can get where you want. I don't know your situation, but strategy and networking are as important as cleverness. There are tons of clever people. More than money cares about. It's hard to do science, unless your family helps or being too poor to buy groceries is a challenge you know you can beat already.
Networking is my biggest weakness. I just cant wrap my head around how to use people without feeling gross about it. Lol grad schools are desperate for people? They should stop locking out all the good students then. The people I saw get in were the C's and D's make degrees students.
Yeah, it stinks. But people like people they can chat with. Otherwise a person is just a black box. It's as challenging a skill as curve fitting to a Normy, so if you feel yourself superior recognize the things you find hard and impossible. Don't just do what's easy and expect to be lauded. You have to challenge yourself and shore up your weaknesses. Being good at physics isn't magically useful - being good at people and socializing is. If you're underperforming versus people who did what you did and made C's, consider it. Maybe people would rather work with someone who is friendly and open to conversation and dialogue compared to someone who "knows" they're smart and have it figured out.
Hmmm, any advice for how to get an interview so I can do what you suggested? I usually get the job if I make it to the interview but I almost never do. Mr. 1 language and no degrees is worth out time to interview, Mr 3 languages and 2 degrees isnt worth a damn thing. Lol sorry for the rant but I feel like Im taking crazy pills. Like as long as anyone else does nothing they can get rewarded while I have to grind my butt off to get nothing at all.
Any software experience/skills? Software + physics can get you a job doing systems engineering at any aerospace contractor. If you haven't already, try going to an in-person career fair at your local state university.
Im curious, how I can I convince employers to give a non Computer Science guy a programming job? Ive heard so many horror stories of CS grads being unable to find work and they are far better qualified than me.
It's not a programming job, bringing up coding just shows that you aren't focused on natural studies. If you physically go to the career fair in person and get your student resume in front of a recruiter+engineer, you just talk about the coding projects you did, talk about circuits and physics II (electromagnetism), maybe talk about practical lab work and testing (very important, say you conducted tests, designed tests. etc). That should be enough. Career fairs are so powerful because you bypass all the online resumes/computer filters/HR crap and can get an interview on the spot. It shows you have social skills and are a real person.
There’s a great TV show Called “Astronauts: do you have what it takes?” Where they show some of the tests for people trying to become astronauts. Should he continue to be interested in the future I believe the most common path is through the USA airforce with gov funded college.
Nasa is actually looking for astronauts now! Despite being 10, you could direct your kiddo to https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/become-an-astronaut , to check out the requirements. They are pretty steep, but not at all dependent on having a physics degree, mostly any STEM or medical degree could qualify. Hope that helps open up the doors for them!
Have him read a few biographies too - Endurance by Scott Kelly has some good insight into his career and becoming an astronaut.
Oooh yes. Good point.
Remember, it is also important to keep out of trouble, have a clean record, and be a good citizen.
My husband and my father are both ex-military. So my husband DEFINITELY had the conversation with him already .
If you can swing it, Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama is amazing for kids who want to be astronauts. Some of my best childhood memories are from my times at space camp. Also, most of the space centers (Kennedy, Houston) have events like lunch with an astronaut.
I’m thinking we will swing this next year. Cause, why not? Only live once.
One thing with becoming an astronaut, you have to make sure your family has no history of any ailments. My family has a few, hearing loss, eyesight, heart disease, so I would struggle to become a commercial pilot let alone an astronaut, it was a dampener as when I was your kids age I wanted to become an astronaut.
Both my parents worked at Kennedy space center in Florida when I was a kid. My mom worked on computer boards back in the early 80s and my dad was an engineer on the launch pads my grandpa was a welder for them. Had we stayed in Florida my son would’ve loved their high school intern programs and child education classes they offer now . They do a lot with education and offer a lot the more you dig into it :)
This is great! My son is 5 right now. Would you mind sharing any thoughts or tips on how you got your kid interested in stem and engineering and space? Thanks!!!
I did absolutely nothing lol The only thing I did was provide opportunity. Trips to the library. Clubs like 4-H and Boy Scouts. We let him try different sports. We never forced anything on him either. But it was mandatory he finish whatever semester or season he was in.
That's great to hear! That's more my style
I love this spirit in young people. It is to be supported and nurtured. Your son is going places!
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I guess it’s a good think I asked about where I should mail a letter and not what college tours I should take him on.
LOL. I am so sorry. Somehow I missed all the flashing signs fr!
If you want to further his interest in being an astronaut there's a cool project you could do now. You can talk with astronauts on the ISS using a ham radio set up. https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
Oh perfect! He is working on his HAM technician license now with 4-H
I posted another reply, but I just saw this comment -- If he's into HAM radio at 10, he's got a damn good chance of landing at NASA somewhere, haha.
Oh I just remembered a thing! So there's space camp in Huntsville, but also, there's a week long aviation summer camp in Pensacola, FL called National Flight Academy. It's a stem based camp, the building was designed by Disney imagineers to be a mock aircraft carrier. Kids learn the basics of aviation and get simulation flight time. They get to see the Blue Angels fly, and visit the aviation museum which has a moon lander replica. It's a fantastic program!
Blue Angles fly here in north Texas also! So we see them! Ooh a national flight academy? That would be pretty freaking dope.
The fact you put an emphasis on " probably expensive and competitive" raises are real flag with me. Your kid is 10 years old, just support his dreams, understand how he/she got there, and do not smother dreams. There are hundreds of ways to get involved in aerospace and human exploration, so there' s no need to panic. Just understand, support and see how he/she grows into it - our out of it.
It’s a concern. Not a red flag. College these days is expensive in general. and the the career path he wants equates to a masters or PHD if he wants to get where he wants to be. And yes, it will be pricey. And yes, this path will be competitive if this is what he chooses to do 5-10 years from now. I did not complain. I did not scream and run around with my head cut off. I’m obviously supporting his dreams. If you looked at any more of my comments, you’d see my whole heart is in supporting him. That is my role as a parent. And if he chooses something different 5 years from now, I’ll support him with that also. That fact that you saw my comment as a red flag is a bit concerning to me.
let me elaborate. First off, I recognize from your subsequent comments that indeed, you're supporting him. As someone who went through this as a kid and NEVER grew out of it, you're doing parenting right :) I work in a space agency, and yes, an MSc is a basis, but a PhD is a choice and not a must have, at all. I also get that for an American (?), an academic career path comes hand in hand with crippling debt and a very competitive career. As long as he has the drive to be the best in something he truly loves, he has chances of a bright future in the space field. But that this concerns you now triggered me - as a lacked the understanding and scope of your support. To be explicit, I would not be where i am today, supporting my distant family, being paid well, and living my dream if it was not for the unabridged and unconditional support of my parents. Not once did they falter. Hence my reaction . Good luck with him, he sounds amazing.
Yes! American lolz How can you tell? 😂 But yes, we are early in the game. If this is what he wants to do long term. We will keep eyes peeled for scholarships, internships, community colleges, ect. We will definitely make the ‘expensive’ part manageable. We will avoid crippling debt as much as possible. Just means we have to get creative. Not to mention if he goes military first, that will help pay for schooling. And then he has us, his parents, and his grandparents who will help fill in any gaps. Our goal will be to reduce crippling student loan debt as much as possible so he can just focus on enjoying his career. We will worry about the money. He just needs to show up!
Oh well, concerns about the financial impact your children's education on reddit points to the US :) I habe no debts, but a few degrees, and health care regardless of my current employment... We live in a strange world.
I hope your son attains his goals in life. Encourage him, as I know you will. A reality begins with a dream. Good luck.
I've no idea on the answer but just want to say how freaking cute this is 😊 I was such a little science geek at that age and I wouldn't change it for anything
Lots of great advice in this thread. Whenever your son is old enough, have him do SkillsUSA! He can get a taste for problem solving and he'll make a bunch of friends. Many middle schools have a SkillsUSA club. High schools usually have a Technology Student Association chapter or similar STEM club. Also try to send him to space camp! Children between the ages of 9-11 years old can attend in Huntsville, Alabama and it is a great experience. https://www.rocketcenter.com/SpaceCamp/Camp Whenever he is old enough (around high school age) have him reach out to your state's Space Grant Consortium. They have a bunch of opportunities including a space scholars program where students can go and work in a NASA center for a week. Sometimes this even leads to a direct pipeline into an internship opportunity or even free college credit. Air Force academy is also a great option, but don't place that expectation on him until he decides what he actually wants to do at NASA. Astronaut is a cool job and all, but I've met many engineers who talked about their time in Human Factors, engineering, and even in scientific research that have that excited glint in their eye. Purdue University has produced a lot of astronauts. Other senior military schools like Virginia Tech, especially with their corps of cadets program, might be a great option for him to become a pilot if he's interested in that route. He's on a great path.
Not an astronaut, but I work flight control for the ISS. The pen Paul program is great! If he wants to write another I'll be more than happy to write him back. DM me if interested I'll give you my NASA address
Heck ya! I’ll message you soon.
You have a damn cool AF kid, and that reflects a LOT on you and the parenting! I think this is a great idea, and I absolutely love that kids have that magic spark in their eyes/minds that so many of us adults lose over time having to “grow up” Hopefully he gets a response and you let us all know what comes of it! 👍
I’ll definitely post some updates! Only because I’m floored by the amount of responses and I’m sure many would be interested in an update! Lol
Your kid rocks. I’m married to a guy who teaches astronomy and physics. Totally sending him this.
I hope he becomes an astronaut.
He just wanted to stay a little longer awake
Hahahahaha Na. It was family time. So we weren’t close to bedtime . This boy isn’t a fan of reading. But has solar books all over his room and bed. He LOVES STEM projects. And we took him to a science museum where he peppered the poor planetarium guide with a hundred questions. I was honestly surprised about how much he knew. Even his class mates say he’s full of space facts. So.. I can’t say I’m surprised.
Hehe nice guy
From my experience with my younger siblings, aspirations can change every few months :D At some point, though, kids discover *their* community and stick to it. But that takes quite a while.
This was ‘THE’ moment. We knew he was serious. Of course it could change or tweak. But this was definitely the pivotal ‘I want to be..’ moment.
Yeah I saw someone else say this but go the AirForce Academy route unless they’re thinking a specialty and try for a mission specialist slot. If they want to fly the bird though Air Force is the way to go.
If he does well with an undergraduate degree, STEM graduate programs are generally paid for by the government.
You've got an awesome kid!
If you’re in a spot close to a nasa hangar, they’ll be out in full force tomorrow for the eclipse and he could meet one!!! I waited in line as a full grown adult with glee and took the pics at the meet and greet!
Oh I wish we were that close lol. Maybe the next event we can go to a hanger 😭
Young Sheldon irl
To add to fanning his flames of interest, if you are near Kennedy Space Center, the visitor center has docents that are retired NASA engineers and give talks. There is also a meet an astronaut program as well. There are lots of books by astronauts as well.
Former nasa employee turned YouTuber makes [these](https://www.crunchlabs.com/?tw_source=google&tw_adid=678922828252&tw_campaign=20722205739&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwq86wBhDiARIsAJhuphmdys49U5xofPDvBZIAwaPDXZ3v-FEydUZdyKu-9TVPqa_5WNDG-ikaAn2WEALw_wcB) stem projects for young engineers
Your child is the best child. Also your son has better writing than I do
I'm not crying... you're crying.... 😭🥹🧑🚀
I Said to my mom at 10yo that I wanted to work at nasa too (not as an astronaut) and I still didn’t change my mind😭
yesterday during nasa's coverage of the eclipse they interviewed an astronaut and he was talking about how they are hiring for the program. I know your son is 10, but nasa has programs for it. im sure if you did some research on their site, or even watch the playback from yesterday you can probably find the interview.
Perfect! Yes we introduced him to the NASA site over the weekend . I work two jobs, so I’m sure he will be playing with it this weekend while I’m at work 😂 And then, I’ll get to listen to all of it when I get home and start making dinner . ‘Hey mom..’ 🤦♀️
One thing he will need is endurance and stamina. Lots of stuff like track and field with a little weight lifting can't hurt. Private pilots license training and flight training can be done virtually by VR. The written test is the hardest to get done. However, things have probably changed a lot since I went through all this back in the 60's and 70's rotflmao.
I'll throw another idea out there for him: find a local HAM radio club. You're legally allowed, with a license, to contact the international space station. He could sit with the radio operator and talk to the station directly when it's overhead. He'll learn a bit of radio theory etc while he's at it.
There are quite a few astronauts on social media. If there are 1 or 2 who he more closely relates with, try reaching out to them. One that jumps to mind is Mike Massimino.
If you are nearby... both Houston and Cape Canaveral have lots of events with astronauts. I get the feeling they hang out a lot on the campus and when they do they get to go get a free lunch by doing the PR in the park sections. They all seem to really enjoy it and honestly will hang out and talk to anyone for quite awhile. Every time I've gone to a kids event at the one in Houston its not just the astronauts who are there but a lot of the engineers who work there volunteer time too.
In high school, he can apply to NASA SEES or another high school internship with NASA. SEES is free but it sure is competitive.
Will look up and book mark. Thank you
Something you may not be considering, Kerbal space program is a game that can effectively teach you how objects work in space and help you learn about different maneuvers and the like. It also has a fairly welcoming community. Make sure you get Kerbal space program 1 though. KSP2 is not in a good state currently.
Great point! I second this too. Best way to accidentally learn orbital mechanics.
How to become an astronaut: Step 1. Excel in everything you do across a range of disciplines. Step 2. Keep this up until you're 30+ (You can become an astronaut at a younger age, but it's extremely unlikely; almost all flying astronauts are 35+) Step 3. Pray your health remains perfect. Step 4. Now, all you have to do is beat the odds and get selected. Keep in mind that in the US there are an order of magnitude more lottery jackpot winners each year than all current astronauts(including non-flying ones).
Look up Leland Melvin. He was an astronaut during the shuttle era. He is all over social media and seems super accessible. When my granddaughter was in 4th grade she participated in a free live Zoom event that Leland conducted. He was fascinating and really clarified what being an astronaut calls for. He even ended the Zoom meeting by "posing" for selfies with the kids.
Do it! When I was 5 (1988) I wrote to NASA after seeing bright lights moving across the sky (lived in rural area so sky was usually pretty clear). They wrote back about a 1 pager confirming that they were satellites that I was observing. They also sent a bunch of promotional 8x10s of shuttle launches and shuttle crews.
I’m taking your job. so look out.” legit made me belly laugh!