Kingston space careers

1. 1 / 19
Opportunities
in Space
Mark Bentley
mark@uk.seds.org
KU-SEDS
18th
April 2005

2. 2 / 19
Contents
1. Contents
2. My career (so far…)
3. Clichés and dirty words
4. Things you can do now
5. Industry vs. academia
Mars Express HRSC image © ESA
6. Masters and PhDs
7. Industry
8. International Space Uni
9. Other Opportunities
10.Resources

3. 3 / 19
… or why should you listen to me 
My Career (so far…)
MPhys Physics with Space Science and
Technology (Leicester University)
SURF (JPL/Caltech) in concurrent conceptual
spacecraft design tools
Spacecraft Simulations Engineer
(SciSys Space Ltd)
PhD in Planetary Science
(The Open University)
UKSEDS Secretary, Chair
Delegate to Space Generation Forum (UN)
ISU Summer Session Graduate
ISU Summer Session Teaching Associate

4. 4 / 19
Clichés and dirty words
- It is a small world!
- Get involved with anything and everything you can!
- Attend conferences and meetings
- Join organisations, e.g. UKSEDS
Networking,
networking…
It’s who you
know!

5. 5 / 19
Things you can do now…
http://www.surf.caltech.edu/
ESA Internship Programme
http://www.esa.int/careers/
Other summer research programmes:
http://www.qubit.org/research/Photons/wsm/srp.html

6. 6 / 19
http://www.estec.esa.nl/outreach/
ESA Outreach Projects

7. 7 / 19
SpaceGen
• SGF (Vienna, 1999)
• SGAC (www.unsgac.org)
• UK SGF (Newcastle, 2001)
• Space Generation Congress
E x p l o r e r s
W a n t e d ! !

8. 8 / 19
Industry vs. academia
INDUSTRY ACADEMIA
TheGoodTheBad
Good career development
Work on “real” projects
Money
Direct your own research
Flexibility (time)
The thrill of discovery 
Job uncertainty
The “postdoc trap”
Short term contracts
Money
Possible 9-5 job
Strongly directed work

9. 9 / 19
Masters and PhDs
SPACECRAFT TECHNOLOGY & SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
MSc Astronautics and Space Engineering
MSc Spacecraft Technology and
Satellite Communications
MSc Space Mission Analysis and Design
MSc Satellite Communications and
Space Systems

10. 10 / 19
Industry
+ many others!
UK Industrial Space Committee: http://www.sbac.co.uk/UKISC/
+ “in between” establishments such as RAL

11. 11 / 19
International Space Uni
Master of Space Studies
One year course at the ISU
central campus in
Strasbourg, France
Summer Session Program
8-10 week intensive course
hosted at a different
University each year

12. 12 / 19
Summer Session 2001
95
Students
29
countries

13. 13 / 19
• Space Systems Analysis & Design
• Space Business & Management
• Space Engineering
• Space Life Sciences
• Satellites Applications
• Space Physical Sciences
• Space & Society
• Space Informatics
Core Lectures

14. 14 / 19
Cultural Education

15. 15 / 19
Team Projects

16. 16 / 19
Workshops and Trips

17. 17 / 19
What To Expect

18. 18 / 19
What next…
http://www.britishfestivalofspace.co.uk/

19. 19 / 19
Resources
UKSEDS Mailing List
http://www.uk.seds.org/
SpaceJobs careers site
http://www.spacejobs.com/
Any questions?
mark@uk.seds.org
http://www.lunartech.org/spaceops/