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What should I major in if I am interested in space, and working at NASA, and also discovering other galaxies, life outside of earth, and planets?
I've always been extremely interested in outer space, and life outside of earth. I don't want to be an astronaut, but rather be a worker at NASA helping discover/research other planets. #outerspace #nasa #aerospace #astronomy
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Anuj’s Answer
If your dream is to discover new galaxies, map out alien planets, and search for signs of life in the universe—all while working safely on Earth for an organization like NASA—you are looking at a career as a Research Scientist.
Because your interests span from the massive scale of galaxies to the microscopic scale of alien bacteria, there isn't just one single major. Instead, there are a few elite pathways you can choose from.
Here are the best undergraduate majors to target, categorized by your specific cosmic interests.
1. To Discover Galaxies and Exoplanets: Astrophysics or Astronomy
If you want to hunt for planets orbiting distant stars (exoplanets) or map out cosmic structures billions of light-years away, physics is your foundation.
The Core Focus: You will study how light travels, how gravity warps space, and how to write code to analyze massive streams of data coming from telescopes like James Webb or the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Why NASA needs this major: NASA relies heavily on astrophysicists to interpret data from space telescopes. You will be the one writing algorithms to look at the dimming of a distant star, proving a new planet just passed in front of it.
2. To Search for Alien Life: Biology, Biochemistry, or Microbiology
The scientific field dedicated to searching for life outside of Earth is called Astrobiology. However, a major secret of the space industry is that NASA rarely hires people with a generic "Astrobiology" undergraduate degree. They prefer you to become an expert in a core science first.
The Core Focus: To find life on Mars or the icy moons of Saturn (like Enceladus and Titan), we have to understand how life survives in the most extreme places on Earth. You will study "extremophiles"—microbes that live in toxic, boiling, or frozen environments.
Why NASA needs this major: If NASA drills into the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa, they need microbiologists who can look at the chemical data and definitively say, "Yes, this is a biological cell, not just a weird rock formation."
3. To Study Strange New Worlds: Planetary Science or Geology
If you are fascinated by the environments of planets themselves—their volcanoes, atmospheres, oceans, and canyons—this is your lane.
The Core Focus: You will look at Earth as a blueprint and use it to understand other worlds. You will study how planetary atmospheres form, how weather works on Venus, and where liquid water might be hiding under the surface of Mars.
Why NASA needs this major: Planetary scientists are the ones who tell engineers where to land robotic rovers, how to design space probes to survive harsh planetary atmospheres, and how to analyze the soil samples brought back to Earth.
Because your interests span from the massive scale of galaxies to the microscopic scale of alien bacteria, there isn't just one single major. Instead, there are a few elite pathways you can choose from.
Here are the best undergraduate majors to target, categorized by your specific cosmic interests.
1. To Discover Galaxies and Exoplanets: Astrophysics or Astronomy
If you want to hunt for planets orbiting distant stars (exoplanets) or map out cosmic structures billions of light-years away, physics is your foundation.
The Core Focus: You will study how light travels, how gravity warps space, and how to write code to analyze massive streams of data coming from telescopes like James Webb or the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
Why NASA needs this major: NASA relies heavily on astrophysicists to interpret data from space telescopes. You will be the one writing algorithms to look at the dimming of a distant star, proving a new planet just passed in front of it.
2. To Search for Alien Life: Biology, Biochemistry, or Microbiology
The scientific field dedicated to searching for life outside of Earth is called Astrobiology. However, a major secret of the space industry is that NASA rarely hires people with a generic "Astrobiology" undergraduate degree. They prefer you to become an expert in a core science first.
The Core Focus: To find life on Mars or the icy moons of Saturn (like Enceladus and Titan), we have to understand how life survives in the most extreme places on Earth. You will study "extremophiles"—microbes that live in toxic, boiling, or frozen environments.
Why NASA needs this major: If NASA drills into the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa, they need microbiologists who can look at the chemical data and definitively say, "Yes, this is a biological cell, not just a weird rock formation."
3. To Study Strange New Worlds: Planetary Science or Geology
If you are fascinated by the environments of planets themselves—their volcanoes, atmospheres, oceans, and canyons—this is your lane.
The Core Focus: You will look at Earth as a blueprint and use it to understand other worlds. You will study how planetary atmospheres form, how weather works on Venus, and where liquid water might be hiding under the surface of Mars.
Why NASA needs this major: Planetary scientists are the ones who tell engineers where to land robotic rovers, how to design space probes to survive harsh planetary atmospheres, and how to analyze the soil samples brought back to Earth.
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Luis "Lou"’s Answer
Anything science related. There is the obvious engineering, physics (astrophysics, astronomy, etc), math; and the not so obvious like geology, biology, computer science, medicine.
However, the real question is not what, but to what level?
If you want to be considered, you need to become an expert in your field, which means at least a PhD.
As an expert in your field, if you don't end up working with them, they will seek you out.
So pick something you like, something you are really interested in and be the best at it.
However, the real question is not what, but to what level?
If you want to be considered, you need to become an expert in your field, which means at least a PhD.
As an expert in your field, if you don't end up working with them, they will seek you out.
So pick something you like, something you are really interested in and be the best at it.
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Reginald’s Answer
Astronomy would put you in the exploration of stars and space outside of the solar system. I think planetary science would get you a position at NASA.