<p>Disclaimer: I am asking this for a classmate who knows everything a geek could know about space, but not so much about the related job prospects. This post consists of a lot of possibly/probably incorrect assumptions I am making about a field I haven't looked into personally. Please correct me if I am wrong!</p>
<p>I glanced at job openings for NASA, SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, etc (the only such companies I'm aware of). I noticed that they all seem to have more positions open for mechanical engineers than aerospace engineers (among others). Does this mean that you would be more competitive for a job in that industry with a mechE degree? Is the aerospace engineering aspect of space exploration smaller than the mechE aspect? They are also hiring a lot of CS majors, EEs, even IEs (specifically manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain). </p>
<p>I don't know a lot about space exploration, but it does seem that some of the technology involved on board a spacecraft seems more complex than the craft itself. Is this incorrect? What AE work relates to space exploration? Is it mostly just the dynamics aspects, the propulsion systems, etc? And in the case of propulsion systems, wouldn't other types of engineers also be heavily involved, like chemical engineers or (in the future) nuclear engineers?</p>
<p>If you're passionate about space, is AE not the way to go? Would a non-AE in one of these firms/agencies be pretty detached from the actual space flight aspect of the industry?</p>
<p>My friend is a space geek and a freshman AE major, and his (big) dream is to be involved in missions to the moon, mars, an asteroid, etc (will these private companies even achieve these things, or is it just a claim to generate hype for the more practical aspect of their business?). My initial thought was that since these things are still so unknown and that so much research seems to be necessary, that perhaps he should consider a straight physics or astrophysics. After looking at those websites and not finding any positions for physicists, I'm guessing that was an incorrect assumption.</p>
<p>Also, how competitive are jobs in the industry in general? Is their pay competitive, or is it somewhat like the video game industry (can attract a lot of passionate people who may be willing to work more hours for less).</p>