Also called: GSE Technician, Pad Technician
Maintains the launch pad machinery: fuel pumps, umbilicals, water deluge systems, and transporters.
You repair a valve on the pad's liquid oxygen line, test the giant water system that soaks the pad during liftoff, and check everything after the rocket leaves a scorched pad behind.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. Trade school or military mechanical/electrical training.
Ways in: Trade school, Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Industrial Maintenance (trade school), Hydraulics and Pneumatics.
Growing much faster than average (about 8% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Sensors flag some faults; repairing pumps, umbilicals and pad machinery stays hands-on.
Classes: Shop class, Electronics CTE, Auto or diesel shop, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9041.
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