The work of space pilots is demanding, sometimes stressful, and potentially dangerous. With every mission, the stakes are high as they transport expensive equipment and supplies to space, as well as passengers on suborbital and orbital missions. It takes a special type of person to be able to excel amid the rigorous demands of spaceflight and the stress and fast-paced nature of this career.
Space pilots work a standard 40-hour week when preparing for a space flight, but they work long hours in the days and hours leading to launch. Once the mission begins, they work for as much time as is necessary to meet the objectives of the mission.
Some pilots are stationed at a particular spaceport, while others must travel between spaceports for each missions. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)–licensed spaceports are located in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia.
- Aeronautical and Aerospace Technicians
- Aerospace Engineers
- Aerospace Medicine Physicians
- Agricultural Pilots
- Air Traffic Controllers
- Aircraft Mechanics
- Airplane Dispatchers
- Airport Security Personnel
- Airport Service Workers
- App Services Workers
- Architects
- Armored Truck Drivers
- Astrobiologists
- Astrogeologists
- Astronauts
- Astronomers
- Astrophysicists
- Autonomous Vehicle Safety and Test Drivers
- Aviation Safety Inspectors
- Avionics Engineers
- Avionics Technicians
- Biologists
- Biosecurity Monitors
- Build Reliability Engineers
- Chemical Engineers
- Chemical Technicians
- Chemists
- Computer Network Administrators
- Computer Programmers
- Computer Systems Programmer/Analysts
- Cryptographic Technicians
- Driverless Car Engineers
- Drone Engineers
- Drone Manufacturing Workers
- Drone Pilots
- Drone Repair Technicians
- Electrical Engineering Technologists
- Electrical Engineers
- Electronics Engineering Technicians
- Electronics Engineers
- Engineering Technicians
- Engineers
- Environmental Engineers
- Fleet Maintenance Technicians
- Flight Attendants
- Flight Instructors
- Fluid Power Technicians
- Futurists
- Geographic Information Systems Specialists
- Green Transportation Careers
- Ground Services Workers
- Gunsmiths
- Hypersonics Engineers
- Hypersonics Technicians
- Industrial Engineers
- Intelligence Officers
- Internet Security Specialists
- Laboratory Testing Technicians
- Laser Technicians
- Manufacturing Engineering Technologists
- Manufacturing Engineers
- Manufacturing Supervisors
- Materials Engineers
- Mechanical Engineers
- Meteorologists
- Military Pilots
- Military Police
- Military Recruiters
- Military Workers, Enlisted
- Military Workers, Officers
- Mobility Managers
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists
- Optical Engineers
- Physicists
- Pilots
- Public Transportation Operators
- Quality Control Engineers
- Quality Control Technicians
- Race Car Drivers
- Radiation Protection Technicians
- Railroad Conductors
- Reservation and Ticket Agents
- Reusable Spacecraft System Designers and Engineers
- Robotics Engineers
- Robotics Technicians
- Ship's Captains
- Space Habitat Designers
- Space Lawyers
- Space Meteorologist
- Space Port Managers
- Space Systems Operators
- Space Tourism Managers
- Spacecraft Test Technicians
- Taxi Drivers
- Toll Collectors
- Traffic Engineers
- Transportation Engineers
- Transportation Planners
- Truck Dispatchers
- Truck Drivers