I’m probably a bit biased, but I think a career in aerospace is one of the most exciting and most challenging paths you can take. Aerospace is not just about planes and rockets, it is the culmination of every bit of human knowledge we have today to create amazing solutions to incredibly challenging problems - aviation and space exploration. It truly is the ‘new frontier’.

Designing the next generation of space vehicle obviously requires a lot of science & engineering including math, physics, chemistry, optics, computer science, material science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, graphic design, propulsion and telecommunications. It also requires a tremendous amount of business, legal and financial skills to even consider such a complex project.

What ever your academic interests and skills, there are plenty of opportunities and roles in aerospace.

Eager to start your aerospace career? I bet you have a lot of questions like where to being, what will you do, how hard is it, where would you live, who would you work for and probably a dozen more. There are a lot of people that would be happy to give you some thoughts. Be sure to ask your guidance counselers and career advisors. But definitely seek out people that currently work in aerospace companies. They are going to be the ones that can give you a lot of insight about the rewards and challenges of working in the aerospace field.

Also, be sure to post your questions here on this blog.

Why you should consider a career in aerospace?

1. Excitement & challenge
2. Leading edge of technology
3. Change the world
4. Pinnacle of human knowledge

What are the major projects in aerospace? There are so many aspects of aerospace, here are just a few of the sectors.

1. Aviation

1. Commerical jets
2. Military jets
3. UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles

• Satellites

1. Communications
2. Remote sensing
3. GPS
4. Spy satellites
5. Space observatories

• Homeland Security

1. Missile defense

• Space Exploration

1. Moon & Mars base
2. Planetary probes
3. Asteroid probes

• New Space

1. Sub-orbital tourism
2. Orbital hotels
3. Space laboratories
4. Rocket designers & builders
5. Solar-power satellites
6. Asteroid mining

What should your college major be? If you want to be involved in the actual engineering of new planes or space craft, you have to get a degree in science, engineering or math. If you want to help manage a mission or project, you might consider majoring in business or get a law degree.

1. Aerospace, electrical, mechnical, software, computer engineering
2. Physics, astrophysics, orbital mechanics
3. Mathematics, statistics
4. Material science, optics, robotics
5. Biology, medicine, psychology
6. Management, finance, operations, marketing
7. Legal, international relations, government

What aerospace companies could you work for? Aerospace companies tend to be really large companies called ‘primes’ and ‘sub-primes’. These companies are the ones that build commerical jets, military craft, International Space Station, and major communication satellites.

1. NASA
2. Department of Defense
3. Boeing
4. Lockhead Martin
5. Northrup Grummun
6. Raytheon
7. Orbital Sciences

Who else is doing exciting aerospace work? There are a number of ‘NewSpace’ companies that are in the process of designing and building their own rockets, satellites or jets. Take a look at a few of these companies:

1. SpaceX
2. XCOR
3. Blue Origin
4. Eclipse
5. Icon Aircraft

Be sure to ask questions and get the answers you need.

For 51 weeks a year, EAA is an international community of more than 160,000 members that nurtures the spirit of flight through a worldwide network of chapters, outreach programs, and other events.

But for one week each summer, EAA members and aviation enthusiasts totaling more than 500,000 from more than 60 countries attend EAA AirVenture at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they rekindle friendships and celebrate the past, present and future in the world of flight.

“The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” has it all when it comes to aircraft. Warbirds. Vintage. Homebuilts. Ultralights. Some you would normally find in a hangar at your local airport, others so unique they are the only one of its kind.

Website: http://www.airventure.org/

AirVenture – More Than Just the World’s Greatest Air Show
Each summer, the aviation world comes to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Everyone is welcome to be a part of the celebration, whether you’re a pilot, builder, enthusiast, or a family looking for an affordable summer getaway. You and your family can enjoy:

• Family fun for all ages including KidVenture
• Learn to Fly activities
• Daily world-class air shows
• 2,500 show planes and over 10,000 aircraft to see
• Evening entertainment

The principal program speaker will be Attorney Rosanna Sattler. She will speak on topics of “Space Law,” including property rights in space and real estate and mineral rights on planets and other celestial bodies. Ms. Sattler’s presentation will include a look at useful legal models here on Earth.

After Ms. Sattler’s talk, we will have a short presentation by Chapter member Steve McGrath about the X-Prize. The X-Prize is an award for outstanding achievement contributing to space access engineering.

The meeting is open not only to Chapter members, who are invited to bring friends and relatives. It is open also to anyone who may wish to join the Chapter, attend future meetings, and participate in the work. If you are planning to attend the meeting, please RSVP to Rick Zucker — see contact information below.

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Rick Zucker, Presiden5t, Eastern Mass. Chapter of the NSS
Phone: (508) 651-9936
Email: rick.zucker@nss.org

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This material from:
Martha Adams, EMass Board
Phone: (617) 472-8309
Email: mhada@verizon.net
Website: www.mhada.info

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The National Space Society’s Boston Chapter is celebrating the event on July 15, 2009 with a presentation by chapter member Gerard Doran, including film/video clips of our space program from the 1960s.

Date: July 15, 2009 @ 7:00 pm
Location: 125 Massachusetts Avenue (Guggenheim Laboratory), Room 33-419, Cambridge, Massachusetts
More Info: NSS Boston Chapter Announcement
Description: National Space Society’s Boston Chapter celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon mission, with presentation by chapter member Gerard Doran, including film/video clips of our space program from the 1960s.

There are a number of celebrations and events elsewhere in the country. A list has been compiled by the California Space Authority.

The event was the culmination of President Kennedy’s speech to congress on May 21, 1961 that “this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth”. Though the challenge was driven by political and national security interests of beating the Soviet’s to space, it has had far reaching impact all over the planet.

Sadly, after Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin walked on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, only ten other men have walked on the moon – the last one in 1973. The 40th anniversary of the Apollo missions is thus a celebration of the inspiring event, but a saddness that that momentum did not continue.

Pilot Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger saved all 155 passengers and crew members by successfully making an emergency water landing – a rare feat in commercial aviation history.

Captain Sullenberger is a U.S. Air Force Academy grad who flew F-4 fighter planes while in the Air Force. He has flown for US Airways for 29 years.

Small aircraft, corporate jets & military craft make water ditching almost once a day in US waters. Commerical jet pilots are not required train for emergency water landings and perception has been that large jets would not survive such a landing which could result in significant loss of life.

Many including a Ralph Nader group and various articles in the Economist have argued (incorrectly) that there has never been a successful emergency water landing by large commercial jet liners. Thus, they suggest, that life vests & rafts serve little purpose other than making passengers feel safer.

But according to a WikiPedia entry on landing planes in water (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ditching), there have been several (not many) landings over the past 40 years worldwide. Survival rates have varied.

The Federal Aviation Administration says there were about 65,000 bird strikes to civil aircraft in the United States from 1990 to 2005, or about one for every 10,000 flights. But since 1960, only 25 have resulted in crashes by large aircraft. 23 of these incidents occured below 400 feet.

You hop into your Piper or Cessna at Hanscom and fly to the Vineyard for the weekend. But once you land on the island, how do you get from the airport to your vacation home in Edgartown?

Terrafugia, based in Woburn, MA, is developing the first ‘roadable plane’ which solves this problem by providing a plane whose wings fold vertically next to the fuselage after landing so the plane can be driven away like any car.

The company’s founder, Carl Dietrich takes pains to call this a roadable plane instead of a flying car since you have to first be a pilot to fly this plane. (you also have to have a driver’s license to drive the car).

Mr. Dietrich is a Phd aeronautical enginner from MIT, a winner of the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Student Prize For Innovation, a runner-up in MIT’s $100k Entrepreneurship Competition and a private pilot.

The company demoed a 1/5 scaled remote-control version of the car at Oshkosh in 2007. It also conducted a high speed taxi test of a full version in December 2008.

Mass High Tech journal reports that in an international test, Massachusetts 8th grade students tied with Singapore for first place in science aptitude tests.

The test, Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study, also showed that Massachusetts 4th grade students placed second in science (behind Singapore) and third in math. Eighth grade students placed sixth in the international math aptitude tests.

We knew there were brains for math & science in this state, now lets see if we can nuture the studnts, coax in to engineering & aerospace careers and then keep them in the state.

Source: Mass High Tech Journal, Dec 12-18, 2008

 Growth has been slowing year-over-year since 2005. But this slide is expected to continue through 2009 and likely into 2010.

Massport operating budget of $364.6m has been reduced by 5% or $18m.

Travel expenses have been cut by 20% and hiring freezes are in place.

The dollar’s considerable recovery has reduced the the growth in Europeans traveling to Boston. This was one of the key areas Massport was counting on for growth.

Bond rating agencies are not worried yet about the the drop in passenger traffic. But if the decline accelerates, a review may be warranted.

Source: “Logan Intl cutting costs as passenger traffic slides”, Jesse Noyes,  Boston Business Journal, Oct 31, 2008

In the very short period since their first meeting, they have brought together a number of aviation and historical groups to work on the concept, formed a 501c3, built a board of directors and advisors, secured a site at the airport for the museum, obtained a grant from Wolf Family Aviation Foundation AND secured one of the F-15s that the Massachusetts Air National Guard launched on 9/11.

Albert Mundo is director & president of MASM following a 30 year career as a TWA commercial pilot. Earlier in his career he served as a fighter pilot for the US Air Force & MA National Guard. MASM board includes members with experience in or at Raytheon, General Electric MassPort, FAA and the Ninety-Nines.

From their website:

“Significant aviation oriented museums exist in many states but sadly, Massachusetts with its long and rich aeronautical history is lacking in this regard.”

“…when considering the achievements and contributions to aviation and space brought about by individuals and institutions in this state, and which indeed are continuing, then an effort to establish such an entity is certainly a worthwhile endeavor.”

“The museum should not be just a collection of relics but rather a living institution where people learn of the past as a foundation of the present, and from there are able look into the future.”

The website highlights a number of important aerospace contributions from Massachusetts including:

• Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket on March 16, 1926 in Auburn, Mass
• MIT has produced more astronauts than any other university – 30 so far with 15,000 hours in space
• Four of the 12 astronauts who walked on the moon came from MIT
• Draper Labs, Avco, Raytheon and David Clark Company all contributed to the Apollo program
• Since the end of the 19th century, Massachusetts has been involved in the develoment of gliders, balloons & aircraft
• Check out the full list of Massachusetts Aerospace firsts at: Mass Aerospace Firsts

I’ll be meeting with Albert Mundo in the next couple of weeks and look forward to working with MASM to raise the profile of aerospace activities and contributions in Massachusetts.

Check out their website at: http://www.massairspace.org/

“September 11 will remain with all of us – especially those who lost loved ones that terrible day and those of us who work in aviation,’’ said Thomas J. Kinton Jr. Massport CEO & Executive Director. “As the airport operator, our intention was to build a public memorial at Logan Airport that acknowledges the tremendous loss for all who had loved ones on those flights, both the heroic flight crews and the passengers as well. We believe this memorial accomplishes that. This memorial tells the story of an event that took people we loved away from us – 147 of them – whose names are inscribed in the glass sculpture sitting on the highest point of the site.’

“This memorial honors the lives tragically lost seven years ago, pays tribute to the families and survivors left behind, and serves as a reminder to us all of the resilience of our country,” said Governor Deval Patrick.

In 2003, the Massachusetts Port Authority identified a 2.5 acre site at the airport and held a public design competition to create the Airport 9/11 Memorial. A committee comprised of representatives from the airlines, families of crew members, local design professionals and Massport chose The Place of Remembrance submitted by Moskow Linn Architects, Inc. of Boston, as the winning design.

“Massport is grateful to representatives from Boston’s design community who gave their time and expertise to advise us on this project, especially David Dixon, of Goody Clancy Associates, and Bill Taylor, of Carol R. Johnson Associates, who served as co-chairs of the 9/11 Memorial Design Advisory Committee,’’ said Kinton.

Design committee member Michael Sweeney, whose wife Amy was a flight attendant on Flight 11, said, “the Memorial is a fitting tribute to those directly affected by the events that day and provides a place for remembrance and comfort in the middle of an international airport.’’

“I am glad that Massport and Boston will remember the day and that this Memorial is in a prominent location,’’ said Peg Ogonowski, a design committee member and wife of American Capt. John Ogonowski. “This was such a terrible event of such magnitude and I am glad it will be remembered in a peaceful way, in a place of solace that brings the airport community together.’’

From the point of entry for the Memorial, visitors follow one of two winding walkways that recall the flight paths of the two aircraft. The paths pass through a grove of Ginkgo trees that become more densely planted near a glass and steel sculpture, The Place of Remembrance, to create a protective enclosure and to represent how individuals came together, finding strength in the support and help of others that day and after. Once at the glass and steel sculpture, visitors can walk inside it and view two 11-foot-tall glass panels. On the side facing out is the departure time of each airplane. The side facing in is etched with the names of the passengers and crew of each flight.

As visitors gaze upward through a prism, the sky appears fractured by glass panels suspended from stainless steel cables. At night, the sculpture is illuminated serving as a beacon for all to see. Visitors exit the Memorial by returning to the point of departure, where the words “Remember this Day” are etched in granite.

“Our goal was to create a place at the airport for personal reflection, a place for comfort, and a place of remembrance for anyone whose life was forever changed on September 11, 2001,’’ said architect Robert Linn, of Moskow Linn Architects.

“As architects, when bringing a project from conception to reality, we always attempt to maintain as much of the original concept in the finished project as possible given the realities of site, budget and materiality. In this case, we are extremely pleased that the finished product turned out very close to the original concept we presented to the design review committee,’’ he said. “It was a challenge and a privilege to work on a project that is so meaningful to so many people.”

The $4 million Memorial is prominently located near the inbound roadway and the walkway from Terminal A to the Central Garage and next to the Hilton Boston Logan Airport Hotel, which donated a portion of its leased land for the Memorial. The hotel also redesigned some of its landscaping to complement the Memorial.

The Memorial is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. For more information on the project, visit massport.com

Boston Logan serves as the gateway to the New England region and offers nonstop service to 70 domestic and 31 international destinations and in 2007 handled 28.1 million passengers. Boston Logan is the Air Line Pilot Association’s Airport of the Year for 2008 because its commitment to safety. Over the past decade, the airport has spent $4.4 billion on a modernization program that includes new terminals, parking facilities, roadways and airport concessions, and has transformed the airport into a world-class 21st Century facility.