Why Would I Want to be a Space Engineer?

Another question I get asked often is, "Why do you want to be a space engineer?" It's an excellent question, if asked correctly.

It is important to know why you do what you do and I have given my career a lot of thought. The short answer is that, oddly enough, space is where I think I can benefit the people of Earth the most. By learning about other worlds, we are forced to re-evaluate our own. By designing for such strange environments, we come to appreciate our own. And by exploring the final frontier, we push the boundaries of what is possible which leads to exciting innovations both here and in space.

I grew up on science fiction from the likes of H. G. Wells, Clarke, Asimov, and Roddenberry. I explored the depths of time and space, and imagined a brighter future for humanity. I've always been a dreamer but I enjoy making dreams a reality.

I chose to be a space engineer because I thought that I could combine a love of exploration and discovery with the pursuit of bettering humanity as a whole. Big, idealistic dreams, but ones worth having.

I know that I'll never stop learning but I'm excited to finish my Masters program at the International Space University in France. The connections I will make, the things I will learn, and the experiences I will have will make me better equipped to understand the real limits of this industry and to be better positioned to incorporate the spirit of my dreams within and beyond those limits.

Currently, my two areas of focus are protecting human crews from the space environment and learning how international policy is helping/hurting the space industry. Stay tuned in the months to come for more thoughts of theory made practice.