Also called: Planetary Protection Officer, Spacecraft Contamination Engineer
Keeps Earth germs from hitching a ride to other planets, and alien samples from contaminating Earth.
You swab spacecraft in cleanrooms to count microbes, set sterilization rules for missions, and plan how to safely handle samples returned from Mars or asteroids.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 7 years after high school. Master's or PhD in microbiology, chemistry, or engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Microbiology, Chemistry, Aerospace Engineering.
Growing faster than average. BLS does not project this specialty separately; rating estimated from related occupations.
Low risk for 10 years. Swabbing spacecraft and setting sterilization rules for missions is accountable, hands-on work.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1041.
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