Also called: Robotics Flight Controller, Canadarm Operator
Controls robotic arms on the space station from the ground to move cargo and help spacewalkers.
You plan a sequence to grab a cargo capsule with the station's 57-foot arm, rehearse it in a simulator, then run the real operation from Mission Control.
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 plus flight controller certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). Part of BLS aerospace engineers category.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Space robot arms increasingly run autonomous scripts, so fewer operators; tricky moves near astronauts stay human.
Classes: AP Physics, Computer science, Geometry, Physical education.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2011.
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