How long does it take to be a Satellite Engineer?

Answer 1

Generally becoming an engineer of any sort takes a bachelor's degree. While most schools will list it as a four year degree, an awful lot of the participants take a little longer. Failing physics the first time through is a common reason. Wisely concluding that you can't take chemistry, physics, calculus, and mechanics all at once is another. A good option is to take a co-op job sometime during your academic career. This will probably stretch things out another year or so, but what you learn is enormously valuable. You'll have a lot better idea of what the real world wants, and a better idea of what you want, so you can tailor your academics to fit. You'll also be MUCH more employable when you graduate. So plan on five years from the time you graduate from high school. There aren't a as many big spacecraft bus makers as there used to be Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Loral, Ball, plus some smaller makers like General Dynamics (formerly Spectrum Astro), Orbital, AeroAstro, JPL, JHU/APL, maybe Swales. Don't overlook the next level, the suppliers of major components. This could be an instrument shop like ITT, Raytheon, BAE, or Ball, or suppliers of major components, someone who makes thermal control devices, attitude control components or rocket engines.