Also called: Space Resources Engineer
Figures out how to make water, oxygen, and rocket fuel from moon dirt, Mars air, and asteroid rock.
You heat a batch of simulated lunar soil in a reactor to pull oxygen out of it, measure what comes out, and redesign the reactor to make more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in chemical, mechanical, or mining engineering; master's or PhD common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Chemical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Aerospace Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Emerging field not tracked by BLS; depends on NASA Artemis and private investment.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps model chemistry; lab tests making oxygen and water from fake moon dirt stay hands-on.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Earth science, AP Calculus.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2041.
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