Mad About Science: The space industry

By Brenden Bobby
Reader Columnist

This week’s “Mad About Science” article might be a little different from what you’re used to. Normally, we look at the science behind history or cutting-edge technology. Today, we’re going to look at the huge breadth of careers directly involved in the space industry.

It’s easy to imagine a bunch of scientists with white coats and clipboards being the only ones involved in building and launching rockets, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. This industry pulls from every other industry on Earth. Building and successfully launching a single rocket is the culmination of thousands of people with different backgrounds and specialties.

The metal alone needs to be mined or pulled from a recycling stockpile. It then needs to be refined into workable materials like sheets. It needs to be rounded, bent or molded by experienced metalworkers working closely with architects and engineers to ensure the structure is built to exact specifications.

The industry expands far beyond the construction of rockets, however. There are tremendous benefits to flinging objects into space, particularly when it comes to communications. Starlink internet is a great example of this, providing expanded high-speed internet access to areas that have traditionally been left behind by ever-advancing digital communication technologies. 

While this type of connectivity does present problems — particularly for astronomers and amateur stargazers — it also has the potential to bring new communities online and connect them with resources they may otherwise never have had the opportunity to experience.

Developing and maintaining a communications network from outer space requires even more jobs from information technology and cybersecurity specialists, to communications engineers and folks with the knowledge to design an object to survive the extremes of low-Earth orbit. 

The surface of an object in low-Earth orbit is outside of the atmosphere, meaning it doesn’t receive any insulatory effects to protect it from the heat of the sun. The surface of the international space station provides a great example of this — while the sun-facing side can be as hot as 250 degrees Fahrenheit, the shadowed portion can be as cold as -250 degrees Fahrenheit. Any object designed to work in this environment needs to be able to survive in those extreme conditions, which requires the know-how of some incredible individuals.

Companies across the space industry involved in orbital transport require financially-minded individuals who have experience in corporate environments managing money, striking deals and marketing to large enterprises. These people may have virtually no technical expertise regarding how a rocket gets off the ground, but their roles are vital to sustaining a company that can deliver orbital internet, monitoring satellites and research projects for governments as well as private companies. 

Web developers are required to create, present and maintain an online presence for orbital transport companies, so that customers can easily access the information they need to place orders and coordinate with the people necessary to undertake a project. Social media managers build a company’s brand just the same as any other enterprise on the planet, while raising awareness among the public and sharing the science behind what makes their company work.

Transportation and distribution is also a vital component of the space machine. Virtually every component of a rocket has to be trucked to the launch facility before assembly. This requires dedicated and experienced truck drivers and logistics managers who can link up the product with its final destination. In the case of NASA, this involves working with government officials to acquire the proper clearances in order to transport pieces through areas to which the public might not have access. 

In some rare cases, huge portions of the rocket — including boosters — may need to be transported either locally or between facilities. In 2012, the space shuttle Endeavour took a 12-mile drive through the city of Los Angeles aboard a massive crawler, creeping through the streets and making corners where there may have been mere millimeters of clearance between its wingtips and permanent structures. Ever backed up a horse trailer? Now try it with a vehicle that’s 78 feet wide and 122 feet long, weighing more than 178,000 pounds.

The space industry utilizes tradespeople that you normally wouldn’t think of as rocket engineers, but their knowledge and experience is invaluable in the field. An understanding of plumbing is required for pumping fuel through piping and hoses without compromises. An understanding of how air flows and can be directed through venting is required for crews to be able to breathe during the flight. Even something as simple as the design of the seat for the astronauts becomes vital when you consider a force of up to six times Earth’s gravity is being exerted onto the crew during liftoff.

These are just a few of the jobs required in the space industry, and if you’re curious for more, you should stop by the library on Saturday, May 13 at 9 a.m. to check out Spacepoint’s rocketry challenge. The registration for the rocket building competition has closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t participate.

The event will begin with a lecture from Dr. Marty Weiser, the former head of Mechanical Engineering at Eastern Washington University. Dr. Weiser will cover the components of rockets and what makes them so awesome. Afterward, kids will get a chance to design and assemble their own rockets, which they’ll get to launch at the end of the event.

These things aren’t the typical straw rockets I’ve shown folks how to make at the library. These puppies can fly up to 350 feet vertically.

Based on how many folks have registered for this program, it’s likely to be packed, but don’t let that deter you from stopping in to meet Dr. Weiser and Kyle Averill of Spacepoint. Averill has so much cool information to share about Spacepoint and the industry at large — trust me, you’ll want to check out this event.

Stay curious, 7B.