• Question: Why did you want to work with space as a job?

    Asked by Liam to Simon, Julia, Delma, Andrew, Alex on 8 Dec 2015. This question was also asked by AstroHelena, 623nch32, 453nch32, Neive, Jen.
    • Photo: Simon Challis

      Simon Challis answered on 8 Dec 2015:

      Hi 862nch28/739nch28.,

      Thanks for your question! When I was about 8yrs old my Dad took me to see ET. I was so touched and inspired by this film about how two races from different parts of the Galaxy could successfully communicate and become friends that I wanted to join the search of other life in the Universe. I worked really hard through school, college and university to realise my dreams and today I am so humbled and honoured to work in Human Space Exploration… we havent (officially) come into contact with other lifeforms yet but we are learning the techniques and developing the technology that will one day make this possible… I hope sooner rather than later 😉

    • Photo: Alexander Finch

      Alexander Finch answered on 8 Dec 2015:

      Hello! I’ve always wanted to do something related to space as far as I can remember. I had some wallpaper in my room when I was a child whic had loads of planets and spaceships and things on it, and went to sleep each night looking at it. I think that might have been the main reason! Now, I have a hard-to-explain excitement whenever I think about sending things – and people – into space, which is the main motivation to do it!

    • Photo: Delma Childers

      Delma Childers answered on 8 Dec 2015:

      I’m a bit like Alex – I’ve always loved space and hoped when I was younger that I could work in a field related to it. Some good advice I got from my parents was to try to find a job that I love to do, because then it doesn’t really feel like work. So for me, that meant trying to get into a space-related industry.

    • Photo: Andrew Winnard

      Andrew Winnard answered on 8 Dec 2015:

      Hey 739nch28, 623nch32 and 453nch32, Awesome question! I think space pushes us to the limit of our understanding and ability. It is really hard to safely get humans to space and back safely. So there is a lot to learn and a lot of challenges to overcome. It is exciting and interesting to work as part of the team around the world trying to make spaceflight easier and better for everyone. Maybe when you grow up it will have developed enough that you can take a ride into space as easily as we get on aeroplanes to go on holiday! Would you like to work in a space career or goto space one day yourself?

      For me personally though, it was hearing an astronaut in space saying that it was possible for anyone to work in a space career that made me realise I could do it 🙂

    • Photo: Julia Attias

      Julia Attias answered on 8 Dec 2015:

      Hey @862nch28, @739nch28, @623nch32 and @453nch32,

      I am very ambitious and I always want to be challenged. I think I realised quite quickly into my Masters degree that there were always going to be questions to answer within the space science field, so it drew me in, because I love trying to figure out answers! I feel like I will never get bored, as there are always going to be solutions we need to find to problems, especially in terms of how to keep astronauts safe with longer duration missions. Besides space is coooooooool… who wouldn’t want to work in space? 🙂

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