Also called: Decelerator Systems Engineer, Parachute Systems Engineer
Designs the giant parachutes that slow space capsules returning to Earth and landers dropping onto Mars.
You run computer models of a parachute bursting open at twice the speed of sound in Mars's thin air. Then you fly to a desert drop test where a plane releases a dummy capsule and your chutes unfurl in sequence. You pore over video of every seam to see why one ripped.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's in aerospace or mechanical engineering; master's common.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Textile Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Crewed capsules, Mars missions and reusable rockets.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Simulation and AI help design chutes, but drop testing and life-or-death judgment stay human.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, Sewing or textiles class, Engineering CTE.
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