Also called: Mars Yard Test Engineer
Drives and tests rover twins on Earth in fake Mars landscapes before commands are sent to the real rover.
When the real rover is stuck, you recreate the situation with its Earth twin in a sandy test yard and try different moves to find a way out.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in engineering or engineering technology.
Ways in: 4-year college, 2-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mechanical Engineering, Robotics.
Growing much faster than average (about 8% over 10 years).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Rovers gain autonomy, but testing twins on fake Mars terrain stays hands-on.
Classes: Physics, Computer science, Earth science, Shop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3021.
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