Careers in space
Astronauts may be the most well-known space workers, but there’s so much more to your future space career! Space is complex and requires workers with a variety of skills across science, engineering, technology, and more, including areas like communications and law.
Keep reading to find out how your space career could take off.
New Zealand may be a small country but we’re a big player when it comes to space. A recent report by Deloitte found that the New Zealand space industry was worth $1.75bn in 2018/19, directly employed 5,000 people and indirectly supported a further 7,000 jobs.
Deloitte report(external link)
It’s a sector that’s growing fast and needs people with all sorts of skills to work in all sorts of areas that you may not even associate with space. In fact you may end up in a job that doesn’t even exist right now, but if you’re flexible and ready to take on a challenge there’s no limit to where space could take you.
How space contributes to the New Zealand economy
Estimated space revenue across sub-sectors from 2018-19.
Source: Deloitte Access Economics
Image description
| Sub-sector |
Estimated revenue 2018-19 |
| Space Manufacturing: Design and/or manufacture of space equipment and subsystems |
$247m |
| Space Operations: Launch and/or operation of satellites and/or spacecraft |
$150m |
| Space Applications: Applications that make use of satellite signals and data |
$1,007m |
| Ancillary Services: Organisations involved in the provision of specialised support services |
$221m |
| Research & Development: Space related research & development |
$119m |
| Government: Regulatory oversight, space related policy-making and sector development functions |
$10m |
There are many pathways that could lead to a space career; the question is, where do you start?
Webinar about space career pathways
Space careers pathway webinar video(external link)
What to study at school
Keep up your Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects
Success in STEM subjects provides better options for study and employment in most space careers. STEM subjects form the basis for many careers that require innovation and problem-solving skills. Studying STEM encourages you to experiment and learn from real life experiences.
Try entering school competitions that will help develop your STEM skills such as the NASA Scientist for a Day Competition or The Wonder Project or participate in programmes like Seeds in Space. These are challenges designed to inspire young Kiwis like you in STEM.
School programmes
What to study after school
Many space careers require a degree or some sort of apprenticeship to get you started. Below are suggested degree/apprenticeship options you might like to explore.
Once you start studying you will be able to decide what to specialise in to get into the type of work you really want to do.
When you imagine your future what do you see yourself doing?
Rockets, spaceplanes and satellites
Rocket engines and satellite thrusters
Do you want to build rocket engine components, or work with machines like 3D printers or computer controlled mills or lathes to make parts of rocket engines, or test rocket engines on the ground?
Qualifications that can help
Many can be studied/earned under apprenticeships:
Design and testing
Do you want to design rocket engines or satellite thrusters, or analyse and improve engines/thrusters using computer systems or test facilities?
Qualifications that can help
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours/Master of Engineering in:
- Mechanical Engineering — University of Auckland or University of Canterbury
- Mechatronics Engineering
Data and analysis
Do you want to study data from rocket or spaceplane launches/flights and analyse or design systems and software that make better, faster, or safer space rockets or spaceplanes?
Qualifications that can help
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in:
- Engineering Science; or
- Computer Engineering or Computer Systems Engineering; or
- Software Engineering — University of Auckland or University of Canterbury
- Mechatronics Engineering
- Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering
- Bachelor of Computing Systems(external link) — Unitec
5 pathways:
- Computer networks and cloud computing
- Software engineering
- Business intelligence
- Cybersecurity
Flight systems
Do you want to design rocket bodies or spaceplane structures, and analyse and design the way they will fly into space?
Qualifications that can help
Rocket and satellite construction
Do you want to build and assemble rockets or satellites?
Qualifications that can help
(many can be studied/earned under apprenticeships):
Avionics systems
Do you want to design or build the avionics systems that guide, navigate and control rockets and spaceplanes and satellites?
Qualifications that can help
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours/Master of Engineering in:
Many of the following can be studied/earned under apprenticeships:
- NZ Diploma in Engineering (Electrical)
- NZ Certificate in Engineering Fabrication (Electrical)
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineering — Avionics (Certificate or Diploma).
- Bachelor of Engineering Technology
Electrical systems
Do you want to design or build the electrical systems that power rockets, spaceplanes and satellites?
Qualifications that can help
Many of the following can be studied/earned under apprenticeships:
- NZ Diploma/Certificate in Engineering (Electrical)
- NZ Certificate in Engineering (Electrical)
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineering — Avionics (Certificate or Diploma).
Radar and communications
Do you want to design or build systems for satellites that sense or study Earth or space or let people on Earth communicate – with other parts of Earth or other parts of space? (like telescopes, radar, radios or lasers).
Qualifications that can help
- Bachelor of Science or Engineering
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours/Master of Engineering in:
- A Bachelor of Astronomy may help you understand how radio telescopes work
Space systems and data
Study environmental sciences, climatology, agriculture, GIS
You’ll want to have a good idea of how to handle data and use it to solve real-world problems. There are a number of ways you can do this, depending on what you’re interested in.
If you’re interested in using space-based data and information to do analysis, generate insights and visualisations in special software, then you might be interested in Geographic Information Science (GIS), the science that underlies the use of Geographic Information Systems.
Qualifications that can help
If you’re interested in using tools like machine learning and analytic problem-solving skills on huge data sets, like optical imagery from satellites looking down at earth over years (or decades!) over 1000s of square kilometres, then you might be interested in degrees, diplomas or specialisations in data science, computer sciences or computational mathematics.
Qualifications that can help
Are you interested or have already studied in a particular science or field – like oceanography, glaciology, or ecology – but want to know how you can use data sets from space yourself in innovative, effective and efficient ways?
You might like to include some introductory papers in data science or GIS (available at most universities) in your studies to get a good background in the skills you’ll need, while still being able to specialise in the field that matters most to you.
Qualifications that can help
Celestial bodies, planets and stars
Qualifications that can help
- Bachelor of Science in Astronomy, Astrophysics — University of Canterbury
- Master of Space Studies (this is a new programme at University of Canterbury, starting in 2022)
- Astrobiology Astro 200G Astrobiology — University of Auckland
- Geology, biology, chemistry, physics for bachelor and then on to a Masters degree
- Bachelor of Science in (Astronomy, Astrophysics) — Victoria University of Wellington:
- Introductory Astronomy (PHYS132)
- Physics of the Earth and Planets (PHYS209)
- Structure and Spectroscopy (CHEM115)
- Physical Chemistry (CHEM203/303)
- Astrophysics (PHYS417)
- The Earth System (GEOG111)
- Applied Geophysics (ESCI305)
- Courses available within the Bachelor of Science at Auckland University of Technology:
- Physical Chemistry (CHEM605)
- Environmental Chemistry (ENVS703)
- Our Dynamic Earth (ENVS522)
- Earth Materials (GEOL702)
- Structural Geology and Tectonics (GEOL701)
- Biology Courses(external link) — Massey University
Space law, security and international relations
Qualifications that can help
Study law, international relations, intelligence, security:
Origins of planets
Qualifications that can help
Study astronomy, physics, chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, ecology, planetary science, geography and geology and then astrobiology at University of Auckland.
- Microbes and their environments (BIOL234)(external link) — Victoria University of Wellington
- Environmental Sciences Applied conservation — Auckland University of Technology
- Geospatial Science, Geoscience — Auckland University of Technology
- Chemistry — Auckland University of Technology
- Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Biomedical Science under the BSc, MSc, PhD programmes — Auckland University of Technology
- Bachelor of Science(external link) — Massey University
Planetary defence
Qualifications that can help
Plant life in Space
Qualifications that can help
- Study horticulture or agriculture, including microbiology — Lincoln or Massey or Auckland University of Technology
- Molecular genetics — Auckland University of Technology
- Astrobiology paper — University of Auckland
Space medicine
Qualifications that can help
Study medicine, biomedical science, health science, molecular biology, cell biology, life sciences, pathology, anatomy and physiology, genetics, radiobiology, medical laboratory science.
Sport and exercise programmes can include physiology, biomechanics, nutrition and cognitive science. Humans going to the Moon and Mars need these aspects in a very similar way to professional athletes. The AUT Sport Performance Research Institute New Zealand has an active research programme in collaboration with colleagues at NASA led by Dr Brian Russell.
Other opportunities
Apprenticeships
Rocket Lab offers apprenticeship positions for high school leavers and technicians in New Zealand wanting to gain on-the-job qualifications. These are posted on the Rocket Lab careers website as they become available, and have various entry requirements. To find out more email careers@rocketlab.co.nz.
International opportunities
The International Space Institute specialises in providing graduate level training to the future leaders of the emerging global space community at its Central Campus in Strasbourg, France and at locations around the world, including a 5-week Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program.
Space education(external link) — International Space University
Southern hemisphere space studies program(external link) — International Space University
Disclaimer
We have suggested only a few of the courses you might like to explore. There are many more on offer at universities throughout New Zealand. We endeavour to keep this content current, but as the information about these courses belong to third parties, we cannot guarantee it will not change. For the most up to date information on what is available, check the university websites. These courses are only suggestions and are not a guaranteed or endorsed pathway to a space career.
If you represent a university (or other institution) with space-related courses that you’d like to add to these pages please email us:
nzspaceagency@mbie.govt.nz
Last updated: 10 June 2021
