The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

How would I work at NASA? Also aerospace institutions in UK/Europe?

I want to work as an aerospace engineer at NASA in the future but I'm a UK resident.
What are other aerospace jobs in Europe/UK?
And is gaining dual UK/US citizenship hard?
To work at NASA you functionally need to be a US citizen as you note. No idea how it's like getting citizenship there but, all things considered it's probably one of the worst countries you could live in if you have an aerospace engineering degree and the experience to back it up, since you could just as well live somewhere where you or your children won't get shot out of the blue, and where you won't go bankrupt because you had to go to the emergency room.

Despite no longer being a member of the EU, the UK is still a member of the ESA. There are also other aerospace roles in the private sector you could work in e.g. in satellite missions and satellite engineering etc.
Original post by artful_lounger
To work at NASA you functionally need to be a US citizen as you note. No idea how it's like getting citizenship there but, all things considered it's probably one of the worst countries you could live in if you have an aerospace engineering degree and the experience to back it up, since you could just as well live somewhere where you or your children won't get shot out of the blue, and where you won't go bankrupt because you had to go to the emergency room.

Despite no longer being a member of the EU, the UK is still a member of the ESA. There are also other aerospace roles in the private sector you could work in e.g. in satellite missions and satellite engineering etc.


Yeah those exact reasons are why I don't want to move there lol..
I'll have a look at the ESA and BAE
Do you know any NASA contractors based in Europe/UK?
Original post by radicaledward
Yeah those exact reasons are why I don't want to move there lol..
I'll have a look at the ESA and BAE
Do you know any NASA contractors based in Europe/UK?


No, I doubt they have anything high level based in the UK or EU, probably just manufacturers who make parts and components etc. Which you could really just work at any old aerospace company to work on that kind of stuff, NASA connection or not!
Original post by artful_lounger
No, I doubt they have anything high level based in the UK or EU, probably just manufacturers who make parts and components etc. Which you could really just work at any old aerospace company to work on that kind of stuff, NASA connection or not!


Ah I see, how difficult would getting into SpaceX be compared with NASA? About the same?
Original post by radicaledward
Ah I see, how difficult would getting into SpaceX be compared with NASA? About the same?


Probably as I imagine a lot of their contracts involve the DOD and hence require citizenship for staff on them. Also being sponsored for a working visa by a company in the US is very hard as they need to prove there are no suitable qualified American workers who could take that job, so you need to be better than literally every US person applying to the job AND all the international applicants, in order to get the job and be sponsored for a working visa.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you