Careers in Business and Program Management

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Careers in Business and Program Management

One of the most interesting and potentially exciting trends in space exploration in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century has been the move towards the privatization and commercial exploitation of space. Privatization refers to the transfer of operations from the government or public agency to private sector management. Several organizations have suggested that many aspects of the U.S. space program's involvement in the International Space Station (ISS) and all Space Transport System (shuttle) operations should be privatized. The commercial exploitation of space has been a key topic of interest since the space program began. Commercialization and privatization of space go hand-in-hand, but the words have somewhat different meanings.

"Commercialization of space" is the term used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce to describe the technology transfer program, where technologies developed by NASA are transferred to the private sector. The term is also used to describe purely private ventures that seek to use space as a resource for making a profit. This includes satellite delivery systems, asteroid mining, space-waste disposal, space tourism, and medical or commercial uses of the ISS. One of the earliest satellites launched was a giant balloon named Echo, which was used as a test of satellite communications. In the early twenty-first century, the space around Earth is filled with orbiting communications satellites, mostly owned and operated by private industry.

The commercialization of space offers new opportunities for private enterprise. While the large aerospace corporations continue to dominate the industry, several companies have been formed in recent years with the intention and stated goal of commercially exploiting space. Many former astronauts, and former NASA scientists and engineers, have moved on to these companies, suggesting that people with knowledge of space exploration consider privatization and commercial development of space enterprise the way of the future.

Careers in Aerospace

Individuals well suited for a career in aerospace tend to enjoy figuring out how things work; math and science; solving puzzles, especially mechanical puzzles; building flying model rockets, model airplanes, or trains; learning new things; and working with computers. There are several different ways to prepare for a career in aerospace, including taking plenty of math and science courses in high school. For those interested in design, research, or development of new aerospace systems, a college degree is desirable, preferably in engineering or science, but not necessarily aerospace engineering. After completing a degree, many seek a job in the aerospace or related industry and immediately apply for on-the-job training for specialized aerospace fields. Because jobs in the aerospace industries are very competitive, enlisting in one of the armed forces and applying for specialized training or even flight school are also recommended.

For the most part, everything that flies in the air or that orbits Earth is made by an aerospace industry. The aerospace industry is one of the largest employers in the United States, with over 750,000 employees. The aerospace industry works very closely with the federal government on many projects. National defense and space exploration together account for over three-fourths of aerospace industries production. The aerospace industry hires more than 20 percent of the scientists and engineers in the United States.

It is almost impossible to get a job in the aerospace industry without a high school diploma. However, there are many different opportunities for employment in the aerospace industry, at many different levels from high school graduates to persons with advanced degrees in science, mathematics, and engineering. At whatever level a person is employed, special training or skill preparation is required. Administrative assistants working in the aerospace industry must be able to handle the complex technical language used by the industry. Union workers must be trained in the special manufacturing techniques used in aircraft and spacecraft, including ceramics, fiber composites, and exotic metals. Many workers must obtain a security clearance including extensive background checks.

Many companies hire more electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and computer specialists than aerospace engineers. Also in high demand are materials scientists (to develop new alloys and composites), civil engineers (for site design and development), and chemical engineers (to study new fuels). Companies also hire safety engineers, manufacturing engineers (to help design efficient manufacturing processes), test and evaluation engineers, and quality control engineers.

A technical degree or advanced degree is not essential to work in the aerospace industry. Many jobs do not require a degree at all. Engineers and scientists represent less than one-third of the workforce. The remaining two-thirds are nontechnical support personnel. In production companies that primarily manufacture hardware, the proportion of engineers and technicians may be as low as 10 to 15 percent.

The large portion of employees at a typical aerospace company includes 10 to 20 percent professional employees, such as managers, salespeople, and contract administrators. Mechanics, electricians, and drafters are another 5 to 10 percent of the employees. The remainder include human resource specialists, engineering records employees, secretaries, and assembly line workers.

Aerospace Program Management

The aerospace industry has managed some of the largest, most expensive, and complex projects ever undertaken by humans. Projects such as the Apollo missions, with the goal of landing humans on the Moon within a decade, and the ISS involved thousands of people working all over the globe on different aspects of the project who had to all come together at the right time and place. Learning to manage such huge projects requires excellent technical comprehension and outstanding management abilities.

Some people have blamed NASA's management approach to the "faster, better, cheaper" series of "Discovery" class missions for the spectacular failures of the Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander. Former NASA administrator Daniel Goldin has commented that in the 1990s NASA dramatically increased its number of missions and decreased the time for each, while at the same time reducing the size of its staff. This resulted in less experienced program managers who received insufficient training and mentoring.

The lack of qualified managers has led to the development of specialized training in program management. Programs in space-related industries have traditionally been managed by scientists or engineers who learned to manage programs while on the job, or by former astronauts or others working in the aerospace industry. Although this approach has led to some spectacular successes in the space program, it has also led to some notable failures.

In response to criticism and recent failures of NASA in particular and the aerospace industry in general, the National Academy of Sciences recently completed a study and published a white paper with a suggested new design for program management. While the report specifically addresses human exploration of space and a potential Mars mission, its principles are applicable to any large-scale endeavor. The report grouped its recommendations into three broad areas.

The first recommendation made by the study group was that scientific study of specific solar system objects be integrated into an overall program of solar system exploration and science and not be treated as separate missions of exploration simply because of the interest in human exploration. All scientific solar system research would be grouped into a single office or agency.

The second recommendation made in the report was that a program of human spaceflight should have clearly stated program goals and clearly stated priorities. These would include political, engineering, scientific, and technological goals. The objectives of each individual part of a mission would have clearly stated priorities. These would be carefully integrated with the overall program goals.

The last recommendation made by the study group was that human spaceflight programs and scientific programs should work with a joint program office that would allow collaboration between the human exploration and scientific components. As a model, the study group suggested the successful Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo-Soyuz missions.

see also Career Astronauts (volume 1); Careers in Rocketry (volume 1); Careers in Space Law (volume 1); Careers in Space Medicine (volume 1); Careers in Writing, Photography, and Filmmaking (volume 1).

Elliot Richmond