5 jobs that will take you to Mars--kind of

The next great source of American job creation might not be in the United States at all. In fact, it might not even be on this planet. If NASA’s recent rumblings are to be believed, we may someday look at Mars not as an angry red ball of space-sand, but as a paradise of gainful employment.

OK, full disclosure: NASA’s not hiring for jobs on Mars anytime soon. In fact, human travel to the red planet is probably still at least a couple of decades away from being a reality. But the space administration recently published a batch of mock-wanted posters it produced for an exhibition at the Kennedy Space Center, and—while retro-kitschy in tone—they give a sense of the very real jobs we could one day see on our neighbor in orbit.

The inclusions are surprisingly grounded: “Farmers Wanted,” one poster reads, while others call for teachers, surveyors and technicians capable of repairing antennae on the unforgiving Martian surface. So if you’ve been holding out for a job as an alien diplomat, you might have to wait until we make it to Alpha Centauri.

Until then, we’ve got plenty of jobs that may not actually take you to Mars, but might help the rest of us get there a little faster. We’ve rounded them up below, along with their accompanying job descriptions.

1. GIS Technician

Employer: Johns Hopkins University

Description: The department of Johns Hopkins University department of Earth and Planetary Sciences is seeking a specialist in Geographic Information Systems and geospatial data processing, with a focus on planetary datasets. Responsibilities include processing data from several recent NASA missions, with a focus on high-resolution datasets on Mars, and assistance with drafting maps and figures for research projects. Specific projects and tasks will be directed by the research goals of the Planetary Research Group in EPS, but the applicant will be responsible for developing and refining software techniques to achieve those objectives.

2. Avionics Quality Inspector – Assembly

Employer: SpaceX

Description: SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars. Responsibilities include in-process inspection and final verification of production hardware to drawing, process specifications and work order requirements in the PCB/PCBA and assembly manufacturing work centers. Identify, document, and resolve production and test anomalies in accordance with prescribed procedures and pursue corrective action as required. Interface with engineering and production to resolve nonconforming material issues.

3. Lead Process Planner/Engineer

Employer: Straton Industries

Description: We are a precision manufacturing company that makes very cool and complex stuff that goes everywhere. Our components are in all types of aircraft, the International Space Station, nuclear subs, military robots, lifesaving medical devices and deep drilling oil rigs. We are on the Mars Rover (Curiosity) as well. Applicant's major responsibilities will be, to perform and to manage a team of 3-5 people who perform the following responsibilities: Developing and designing manufacturing process sheets for the sequence of operations and specifying procedures for manufacturing components and assemblies. Estimating manufacturing costs for components and assemblies based on RFQ (request for quote) data submitted for prospective customers. Analyzing specifications, including sketches, blueprints, bills of material and calculating the cost using material quotes and historical data.

4. Launch Vehicle Control Engineer

Employer: SpaceX

Description: Successfully launch SpaceX rockets! Develop and execute procedures for the integration and checkout of Launch Flight Avionics Hardware and Ground Support Electrical Equipment. You must be a self-starter that will seek out the solutions to technical problems with the local team along with the larger SpaceX workforce. Develop and/or provide input into Automation and Auto-sequences of launch operations for streamlining future Launches. Help SpaceX achieve its long-term goal of creating the world’s first fully automated launch system capable of rolling the vehicle to the pad, raising it to position, fueling the vehicle, and executing a full launch sequence within a 1-hour time window.

5. Sr. Staff engineer, Cell Development

Employer: Bloom Energy

Description: Bloom Energy will make clean, reliable energy affordable for everyone in the world. Our technology, first developed for NASA's Mars Program, will dramatically change the way that the world’s energy is produced, distributed and consumed. Role and responsibilities: Work within the stack engineering team to develop new SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) materials and components, and lead the implementation of new technologies in production. Draw on extensive expertise in electrochemistry and high temperature materials to identify promising materials, define functional requirements, establish and execute characterization studies on the component and stack level, and evaluate performance and degradation against established metrics.

Image credit: NASA, KSC

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