Also called: NTP Engineer
Designs rocket engines that use a nuclear reactor to heat hydrogen, for faster trips to Mars.
You model how hydrogen flows through a reactor core at 4,000 degrees and design materials that survive. You also work with national labs that test fuel samples in research reactors.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's or PhD in nuclear or aerospace engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Nuclear Engineering, Aerospace Engineering.
Growing faster than average. A small field revived by NASA and defense programs.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with design studies; building and testing the first nuclear rocket engines stays human-led.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2011.
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