SPACECRAFT ENGINEER
Simon Meik
Hello! I'm Simon and I'm a Spacecraft Engineer, which means I help design, build and track satellites. Right now I'm working on a project with the Canadian Department of Defence to launch a satellite into orbit. My job involves leading the design of the satellite and meeting with all the engineers who are working on the project. I work as part of a really close team so it's important to be able to get on well with other people. It's very challenging job, but it's also very exciting and hands on too.
I studied Maths, Physics and English at A-level and went on to do a Physics degree and a masters in Astronautics and Space Engineering. Maths and science are vital to my job and enable me to photograph specific points of the Earth to look for warning signs of potential natural disasters. It's great to have a cool job that actually benefits the world too.
Learn about the British National Space Centre and more about science in space.
Did you know?- You can earn from £20,000 to more than £50,000 as a Spacecraft Engineer.
- As a Spacecraft Engineer you get to work on international projects that involve travel and working with people from all around the world.
- You can get to be part of the team launching satellites into space!
- You use Satellites every day, when you make a call on your mobile, or get directions on your Sat Nav.
- One of the most famous satellites is the Hubble Telescope that has shown the world, never seen before images of space, from cosmic explosions
to vast black holes
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:This is Mission Control. When the satellite comes over the horizon the dish will track it across the sky.
My satellite's different because it looks out at other satellites and bits of debris in space. It's actually the same size as Sapphire, the mission I'm going to be working on.
It's good to build them up like this, give them a shake and make sure they don't fall apart on the launch vehicle.
If there's an earthquake we can image that area and send it to Relief Effort.
For A-level I studied Math, English and Physics. The only reason I picked Space Engineering is because I thought it was cool.
I think the best part about this job is gonna be when we actually launch these things.
Interested in becoming a Spacecraft Engineer? Find out more about it here, check out our Useful Links section or talk to a careers advisor at school.