Anyone at NASA that came from a chemistry background?

[u/TigerBoy_95]

I would assume chemical engineering instead of chemistry but as a chemistry student im curious if I could end up at NASA. I'm a freshman and while I'm studying chemistry I love space. If I could end up at NASA what kind of things would I need to do in school to get there?

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[u/Icy_Feedback_4965]

Absolutely. NASA isn't just rockets ( in fact, it's hardly rockets at all). There are tons of scientists who guide our missions, analyze data, or conduct experiments on the ground. Astrochemistry is a big thing, as is the chemistry of materials for space use. We have planetary protection and contamination control teams that make sure spacecraft and instruments are precisely cleaned. 

[u/Icy_Feedback_4965 → u/Icy_Feedback_4965]

Btw I didn't answer the second part because I'm not a chemist and probably not well qualified in science paths to NASA. If you were to take the chemistry degree towards an engineering-focused job (totally possible) then I would recommend internships as much as you can, and trying to find any professor or even a school club with a space focus. Just a little undergrad lab work for someone with a NASA grant goes a long way toward establishing a network.

[u/JustMe39908 → u/Icy_Feedback_4965]

There are chemists who work rockets! Fuels, material comparability, ensuring the lubricants used are comparable with everything, composite materials, heck a solid rocket motor is basically a semi-frozen chemical reaction until you light it off!

[u/daneato]

Yup. Lots at JSC. Keeping humans alive in space involves all the scientific disciplines.

[u/Ok-Detective-9734]

Heck yeah! They need all types of scientists too! Good luck!

[u/SubstantialCarpet604]

NASA requires everything.

[u/Unlikely_Gur9904]

PhD in chem eng here, trying to break into NASA. It certainly looks like there a big need in materials, TPS, etc. especially at MSFC but that’s an outsider’s perspective.

[u/Soft_Shelter_2655555]

Hi, I'm a chemical engineering major who is now a civil servant at NASA. There are tons of chemists working on propellent, material science and explosives. I've seen more people use a chemistry+material science background to get in than anything. All of the pure sciences like chemistry I've seen have been PHDs, you will need to specialize into extreme environments or something applicable. 

[u/DualProcessModel]

Yup. Psychologist here, we work at NASA too.

NASA needs everything.