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Abhishek
Student
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
1
Question
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I am a second year undergrad student pursuing mechanical engineering and I don't know how to navigate my future??
I want to break into space company like for example SpaceX or NASA or ISRO.
What are the skills I need to develop?
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Nancy Alexander
Job Search Coach
0
Answers
Portland, Oregon
Updated
Nancy’s Answer
One piece of advice I give every mechanical engineering student interested in space: by the end of your sophomore year, try to choose a technical lane. Mechanical engineering is broad, and focus helps your experience start to compound.
That focus should guide the clubs and teams you join — especially ones working on real hardware (rocketry, CubeSat, Formula SAE, robotics). These groups can be competitive, but that’s a good sign: they’re where the real learning happens.
For space-focused MEs, five strong lanes to consider are structures & mechanisms, thermal systems, fluids & propulsion, manufacturing & DFM, and test engineering.
Internships are vital because many "first jobs" expect you to have at least 2 years of experience. So, this is where you can get that hands on experience that hiring managers will be looking for later. Don't worry if your first internship isn't "space-branded." What matters is developing work experience you can explain. I hope this helps!!
You’re not locking yourself in forever. You’re giving your experience direction — and that makes everything that follows much easier.
That focus should guide the clubs and teams you join — especially ones working on real hardware (rocketry, CubeSat, Formula SAE, robotics). These groups can be competitive, but that’s a good sign: they’re where the real learning happens.
For space-focused MEs, five strong lanes to consider are structures & mechanisms, thermal systems, fluids & propulsion, manufacturing & DFM, and test engineering.
Internships are vital because many "first jobs" expect you to have at least 2 years of experience. So, this is where you can get that hands on experience that hiring managers will be looking for later. Don't worry if your first internship isn't "space-branded." What matters is developing work experience you can explain. I hope this helps!!
You’re not locking yourself in forever. You’re giving your experience direction — and that makes everything that follows much easier.