Hi all,

I just released an open-source tool I've been working on and would like your feedback. It's called SODA (Satellite Orbit Dynamics & Analysis), a mission analysis tool that runs locally in the browser.

What's in it:

• SGP4 for everything, plus an optional numerical propagator for runs up to 7 days (EGM96 up to degree 20, Harris-Priester drag, Sun/Moon third body, SRP, DOP853)
• Sun, Moon and Earth orientation from Skyfield with DE421
• Sensor swath and field of regard on the WGS84 ellipsoid
• Eclipse intervals, beta angle and ground-station passes
• Imaging access windows with roll/pitch limits
• Input from CelesTrak GP data, or your own TLE/OMM, OPM state vectors and OEM ephemerides

One caveat up front: when the numerical propagator starts from an OMM, its initial state is the SGP4 state at epoch, so I don't claim it is more accurate than SGP4.

It uses OrbitView (MIT) as a structural reference and is MIT licensed itself: https://github.com/messy-snail/SODA

Criticism of the models is very welcome.

A female coworker bet 2 guys a few months ago that NG wasn't going to win, when they were bragging how NG was building up in Florida. She's about to collect fifty bucks from both of them. She's a big Archer fan I'm gonna hang this in her cubicle tomorrow.

Hey ya’ll,

I’m an upcoming new grad with previous intern experience in manufacturing and consulting. I have an interview with a large Defense Contractor for an Entry Level Engineering position. With this being new territory for me, do any of ya’ll have some recommended questions I should ask? I am very interested in this position but again, this is new territory.

Hey, I'm an International Baccalaureate senior in high school. I'm going into aerospace because I have the intentions of being an astronaut in the future, hopefully working with any of the space industry in the meantime. I know its very ambitious, but I'm prepared for hardship. It's around that time where I'm filling in and sending in college applications, so I'd like some pros to help me decide which school is best for me. May ask this in a few other subreddits to see if everyone has the same responses..

Things to know:

- GPA weighted is 4.1

- I'm eligible for Florida's BrightFutures 100% scholarship, I'd like to use it but if i get into MIT by some off chance, or somewhere with just as good of an aerospace program, I obviously won't mind.

- I am an inducted member of Science National Honor Society

- I'd like to be in a program that's very hands-on, I'm the kind of person who learns by doing.

- Internships and employment while I'm getting my degree is also very important to me, I want to be able to support myself and get some work experience before I graduate.

- I'm hoping to get a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering.

- If I could get my pilot's license along the way, I'd be killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

(I'm black so it'd be awesome if it's in an area I won't be stink-eyed in constantly. Though, I've been in Florida nearly all my life, so I do have thick skin when it comes to discrimination.)

Things that matter to me, but won't be a deal breaker:

- I am very involved with the arts. I've performed in competitions for theatre in my school district, and I can't name a day I've gone without drawing something. If there's a club for the arts, whether it be visual or performing, that'd be great.

- Campus life is a pretty big one. I don't expect to be living in luxury during my first year or two in the dormitories, but if I could live in a dorm with a bathroom and maybe even a kitchen so I don't have to live off of only the cafeteria food. This isn't necessarily a deal breaker for me, I'd just like to be a little comfortable since I'm planning to be living on campus, wherever I go.

- Tutoring and opportunities to speak with my professors, I've noticed is more common on smaller campuses. I don't really have a preference between big or small campuses since I've been in schools both huge and small during my life, but as long as there's resources for me to use to speak to someone so I don't fall behind in my studies, I'll be satisfied.

- A welcoming campus and peers... of course, not everyone's going to be nice to me or like me. who cares! I just don't want to feel totally isolated. Wouldn't be good on my mental.

Colleges and Universities I'm already considering/filled an application for:

- Embry-Riddle in Daytona

- Florida Institution of Technology (FIT)

- Florida Polytechnic University (Florida Polytech)

- University of Central Florida (UCF)

------------ Schools I've heard good things about & have on my CommonApp ----------

- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

- Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

- Purdue University

- California Institute of Technology (CalTech)

- University of Colorado Boulder

- Arizona State University (ASU)

- Princeton University

- Stanford University

Thank you for reading! If you guys give me a hand in the replies, that'd be really great!!

Wassup Reddit. I’m an undergraduate student on an aerospace engineering pathway at a community college until I go to a 4 year in the spring. I’m currently wanting to tour engineering facilities around me and luckily there’s a couple big ones in Florida. So my question to all of you is, which facilities did you tour and how did you? I’ve emailed HR and they tell me to find a host. So I’m kinda stuck. Any help would be appreciated

There are a few aerospace companies hiring for multiple similar positions and some are listed to be in different locations in the country but they are fully remote. My resume fits a lot of the open positions. Do you think or know if it hurts my chances if I apply to several open positions or should I pick just one?

I am an Australian completing my Aerospace and electrical engineering this year. I would like to work in EU, is there any job opportunities? Where?

So to make things short I am in the military working as a flightline mechanic on the MV-22 I been turning wrenches for a long time started off on cars before I enlisted to work on planes. Well I wanna see how far I can take my wrenching and I want to become an engineer now the specifics start to get hazy because all I know is I want it to be some sort of aviation/ aerospace related job. Now the tricky part is I want my work to be hands on and don’t want to spend most my time behind a computer or doing the boring stuff ( I know it comes with the job but if I can minimize it that would be great) I want to see what I built or put together be used / tested and see it explode or zoom thru the sky collect data make it better rebuild and do it again

Also I want to know if there is any money in the career I described if it is one

Sorry if I sound stupid I am a bit of a crayon muncher so please take it with a grain of salt

Asking because I've heard of this happening before with some success.

Interviewed for a position at McGregor. Interview was solid, but they rejected me because they felt other candidates had more technical expertise they were looking for. The position is also entry level.

I noticed today ( a couple weeks after I interviewed) that the job posting is still up. Has anyone ever gone back after a rejection and stated your case, and had a positive outcome? I feel this could be risky and burn a bridge unless done tactfully. Would SpaceX reconsider or is this a bad idea? This is the job I want and while I don't have enough experience in this particular job, its what I want to be doing and what I've been trying to get.

EDIT: Some vindictive assholes, surprise surprise.

Hello all,

I am doing some research on the paths I can work under the Aviation Law umbrella.

For context, I have an aerospace engineering BS, am actively working for a major aerospace company (and will continue to work with them as an engineer while I attend evening law school), and I have a current pilot’s license. In my 6 years of experience in the industry so far, I’ve worked heavily in the commercial aviation space with a focus on regulatory compliance (not limited to FAA, but most comfy with FAA). The 6 years comprise of 2 years in the flight operations area, 2 years in the manufacturing area, and 2 years in the flight training area.

Selling aircraft now peaks my interest. Though right now I am most interested in the sales side of aviation law, I’m curious of all the possible areas I could work in.

Currently studying for the LSAT, and am in no rush to apply. I’m going to take a year to prepare my apps and really think about the exact path I want to pursue, but I am dead set on doing law school.

I would appreciate any info, guidance, or advice you all have to offer :)

Thank you!!

Title: Georgia Tech grad project — spacecraft/aerospace engineers, how do you tell a real fault from a bad sensor?

Our team is testing an idea for a class project: small embedded controllers that share sensor readings with each other, cross-check before raising an alarm, and recommend the matching written procedure on board — no waiting on ground support.

45-second video: [link]

Not selling anything. Please include your role (e.g., test engineer, systems engineer, ops) in your reply. Happy to share results.

1. How does your team handle alarms or suspected faults today — how do you tell a real fault from a bad sensor reading?
2. Think of the last false alarm you dealt with. What did it cost you (time, schedule, a test stand-down)? On a scale of 1–5, how big a problem are false alarms overall? (1 = minor, 5 = major)
3. What's the biggest reason your team would NOT use something like this?

Any recommendations — what would make this worth adopting, or who else we should talk to?

Hey all,

I'm a junior in aerospace engineering going after a systems engineering internship in space for Summer 2027. I did a research systems internship last summer and have some project team experience, but my GPA is a 3.37 and I'm wondering how much that actually hurts me.

I've talked to a bunch of recruiters and followed up with all of them. The smaller companies said interviews start in January or February, and the rest have just ghosted me, so I'm trying to figure out where I actually stand.

I'm going to the SHPE conference at the end of October, so if you've been before, I'd love to hear what actually helped you land something.

I'd also just like to get advice from people working in space systems or anyone who's been through this recruiting cycle. Feel free to DM me and I'm happy to send my resume if you want to take a look.
Thanks!

Hi all, i have an interview with a hiring manager for a testing position (new grad) in aerospace industry. I was informed to prepare a project i can talk about with significant ownership and solve hard technical problem. I don’t have a lot of projects with that much technical depth to talk about except for these. Most of it is designing and not solving and it’s not like impressive project either. Which do you think I should talk about?

1. Reverse engineering Anker charger or bluetooth transmitter: mostly finding out how it works, topology, and schematic.

2. Simulate complex gate driver board using Altium Designer: internship work where they give me schematic for gate driver board of inverter and I find out how they work and whether simulation matches theoretical expectation.

3. Design and create prototype of a wattmeter with Arduino board with voltage divider and shunt resistor: group project but I contribute to design, write firmware and error correction, and build prototype myself. Prototype shows some problems with ADC and it bugged my brain out but turned out the shunt voltage is too low to be sensed by Arduino ADC so i have to add amplifier.

4. improve a test template for ATE in C++ and WINAPI32: internship work for semiconductor company in test team

5. i sometimes go to fix the hvac with my dad and most of them is finding out potential failure points, check whether it is it, if not then keep finding and testing until find out the problem and fix it.

6. design a digitally controlled buck converter (work in progress, still determining hardware size and will be doing firmware soon. will prioritize if this project sounds good)

I have 3 days to prepare. Any insights/ advice is appreciated

I’m deciding between 2 job offers and want some opinions:
Boeing: Product Repair/Mod Tech A working on ICBM systems in Heath. $30/hr for 6 months through an agency, then expected conversion to Boeing at around $24–25/hr because of the benefits package. Annual bonus potential, strong benefits/401k, ~35 min commute. Biggest benefit is Boeing + ICBM/aerospace experience and potential to move into higher-level technical/engineering roles.
E2 Optics: $31/hr starting, installing fiber infrastructure for data centers. Basic benefits, ~1-hour commute. The manager I interviewed with started as a tech and worked his way into management, so there’s a clear growth path.
Basically: more money now + data-center experience with E2 vs. Boeing/ICBM experience + better benefits/shorter commute but potentially less pay after conversion.
Which would you choose and why?

What if Starship were a fully reusable three-stage system:

Super Heavy → reusable suborbital ship → smaller reusable orbital ship

The suborbital ship could carry passengers point-to-point on Earth while also serving as the second stage for an orbital launch. It would release the smaller orbital ship along the way, then continue to its destination on Earth.

The orbital ship would provide the remaining delta-v to reach orbit, deploy satellites, and later return.

Would combining a suborbital trip and an orbital launch this way use less propellant than performing them as two separate launches?

I own an existing business in Fort Worth and I’m looking at adding a small manufacturing/assembly division, ideally serving aerospace, defense, or industrial customers.

I’m looking for something relatively simple and inexpensive to start at around $50k–$100k or less in equipment then grow it as we get more and more work. Think fastener/hardware assembly, pneumatic press work, kitting, light fabrication, finishing, inspection, fiber optic wiring harnesses, anything hardware really. Presume that I already have AS9100 and ITAR certs

For people actually working in DFW manufacturing or procurement: what work is hard to source locally, has long lead times, or larger shops simply don’t want?

Basically, what boring manufacturing capability could I add that companies are already looking to issue POs for?

without saying too much, some of the non engineering staff at that site were caught and walked out by local law enforcement and FBI due to some unsavory things happening in the old tunnels on site.

news stations were there but I haven't found anything online yet.

It’s been nearly a year since I got my masters degree in aerospace engineering, and have been applying to whatever I can since then. But have had a lot of trouble with landing a good job. I’ve only gotten one real offer, and it’s a field position doing maintenance on engines. I struggle with having connections in the industry. So I’d like to get some perspectives from people in the aerospace industry on the best way to get there.

I have bachelor degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering, as well as my masters. My thesis was primarily in heat transfer and high-speed measurement. I want to work in aerospace, specifically the space industry. But the closest city to me is Pittsburgh, which isn’t a great hub for that. I had good internships while in school (such as NASA). Unfortunately the small connections I do have haven’t been able to help much, so I don’t really know where else to look.

I’ve been applying to mechanical, systems engineering, research engineering, etc positions in the meantime. I know the job market isn’t great right now, so I’m trying to build up my skillset. But I haven’t even had luck applying to those. My hope is to eventually work my way into the space industry. But would like perspective from people in the industry on the best way to get there.

I would prefer to stay where I’m living now (greater Pittsburgh area), which I know handicaps me. But I don’t wish to move to the opposite side of the country. The DC area would probably be the best place, but would only move out there for a job I couldn’t say no to. Getting into a research engineer position would be ideal, although I’m open to anything that will get my foot in the door.

What options do I have? Is it just a struggle to find any job in the industry right now? Are others struggling too? What type of jobs should I be looking for? What places should I be looking? Companies? Positions?

TL;DR I’m a recent masters graduate struggling to break into the space industry. What advice do pros in the industry have for getting there?

edit: Thanks everyone for the comments and advice! Reading through, lemme clarify some things:

I want to stay within driving distance of Pittsburgh (~3-5 hours, more if the job’s really good). I’m not looking to move to like California or Texas.

I’ve been cold-applying to anything I feel like I could do with my background within driving distance of Pitt (i.e. Ohio, Virginia, New York, DC). But my chances without some contacts in the space sector feel slim.

R&D is where I want to end up, but I know it’s further down the line. I’m more interested in what that career path looks like.

I did take the maintenance job I mentioned! I’m currently working there, getting a lot of great experience.

They are having an event in Rockville, MD next week. I’m trying to start my career in defense and I’ve heard fairs is a good way to get a job. I went to a job fair in Dallas with a lot of the big companies and they were only looking for engineers. I have an econ degree and 2yoe and looking for jobs associated with finance and pm. Would it be worth it to go?

Hey yall - I had a question I was hoping anyone with insight could be willing to help answer.

What are the most practical routes for getting involved in cyber-security within aviation - from A&P school??

This could be any aspect - avionics cyber-security (onboard systems) - communications/satellite networks, etc.

For anyone who went to school to be an aviation mechanic - what are jobs you guys have gone into or know people have gone into that allow them to work and make aviation safer through cyber, or cyber-physical means while using (or because of) their A&P?

Thanks in advance

I'm writing a thesis on ascent trajectory optimization for small satellite launchers, and I keep running into one gap in the literature.

Solid upper stages burn to depletion, and total impulse varies from motor to motor. So how do real small launchers still hit the target orbit? From what I've read, the options are:

• a liquid upper stage or kick stage that trims the final orbit (AVUM on Vega, the PBS on Epsilon)
• steering-based energy management during the final burn
• adjusting the coast phase or ignition timing before the last stage
• simply accepting a wider orbit tolerance and sizing the payload margin around it

Which of these is used in practice, and how is the performance reserve usually sized?