Looking at a PM II position in a HCOA living area in the US. Allegedly the pay range is $149k-$256k. I know a lot of this will be determined on candidates resume, interview performance, and corporate need. Does the salary band identified in the posting include total compensation like bonus or is this base pay. The swing in range is over $100k so trying to get insight on the realistic pay band for this position.

Not sure if anyone has insight on this but would helpful.

Hey Y’all, hope you’re having a great day.

I’ve successfully secure a 1-hr technical interview with Rocket Lab for a Mechanical Test and Operations Launch Engineer I.

I went to school for Mechanical Engineering, concentration in Aerospace. Graduated 2026.

I’m attempting my best to prepare for the interview, and I was wondering if anyone has any insight, helpful tips, possible interview questions or topics I should brush up on.

Here’s my list so far:
- Getting familiar with their two rockets: Electron and Neutron
-Mechanical Ground Launch Systems
-Fluids, heat transfer, cryogenic fuels, and pressurized systems (electromechanical turbo pumps)
-Test and Validation for GSE, rockets and Wet Dress Rehearsals
-Test analytics and processing tools
-Applicable codes and regulations
-Applicable acronyms and terms

I know it’s not possible for me to know everything given I don’t have much experience in the rocket industry, but I really want this job and willing to prepare to learn. Any help is much appreciated.

Cheers!

Hey all,

For background, I’m a Mech E Major who is graduating in May 2027. I have over 18 months of Engineering Internship Experience divvied up between a very notable German Auto Manufacturer, a very notable Korean Auto Manufacturer, and most recently an Engineering Firm.

I am beginning to apply to aerospace development programs for new grads and I had a virtual screening interview with one aerospace company already. Waiting to hear back. Any advice on how to utilize my experience in interviews to better my chances at landing a job in aerospace? I’m not all too sure what I’m asking for but any advice is appreciated. Getting that virtual screening prompt based interview was encouraging but I just wanted to ask since I know I have a lot to learn.

Thanks guys!!

For context, I am finishing a degree in Computer Science and Engineering in a year(final year rn) and I have come to realize my interest lies in aerospace engineering specifically the mechanics side, flight mechanics, structures and design areas of it. I studied basic mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics in high school and genuinely enjoyed it, chose CS on a whim at 18, mainly for the money but I don’t think it’s something what I want to do long-term.

During my university years, I did study Engineering Mathematics across 4 semesters plus 2 basic mechanical engineering courses in my first year but nothing relevant beyond that. Not sure if it will count for anything in credit transfer for admissions or negligible.

I would love advice from people in this field, is switching into aero from a background realistic especially for real design/structures work or will the missing foundation hold me back long-term?

If you were in my position, how would you actually go about and make the switch, bridge courses, masters or a second degree? Has anyone made a similar jump and how did it go?

Project Pixel Orbital is a completely student-led team at Stanford OHS with the goal of launching an 3U CubeSat capable of conducting experiments in low Earth orbit - from photographing Earth to performing analysis on photos of earth and space with onboard instruments. Our mission is to get to orbit, perform a detumble, establish contact with our ground station(s), and capture an image of Earth for downlink. We hope that PixelSat I will inspire other people and prove that if a group of high schoolers can build a satellite from scratch with very little funding and no adult supervision, anyone can. It will open the door for schools and small businesses to launch satellites similar to ours, and will overall make space more accessible.

Please feel free to check out our current progress and learn about how you can help us out on our website: https://www.projectpixelorbital.com

Our blogs also have lots of information on specific subsystems: https://www.projectpixelorbital.com/blog/

More updates on instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/projectpixelorbital

I recently have been hearing about a number companies working on developing hybrid rockets. It seems like they are becoming more popular. How come? Why use a hybrid rocket over other types? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Are there particular use cases they are well suited for? What do you think they will be used for in the future if anything? Thanks

Experts, why gravitational potential increases with greater distance from the centre of the point mass? What logic has to be applied here?
For me it seems like the closer the object is to the source of gravitational field, the greater is the potential…

Humanity's first spacecraft deliberately aimed at another star may not need exotic engines, giant lasers or anything approaching the speed of light. It may simply need an extraordinary amount of patience.

The nonprofit Fermi Explorer Mission announced plans Sept. 1 to launch a small spacecraft toward Alpha Centauri before the end of 2029. The organization expects the vehicle to pass through the neighboring star system's outer reaches tens of thousands of years after everyone involved in its construction is gone.

Interested in a career in aerospace? The Brooke Owens Fellowship matches undergraduate women and gender minorities with paid internships in the aerospace industry (in engineering, science, business, journalism, and more), and provides executive mentorship and networking opportunities. The application is currently live until October 4th.

Each cohort also convenes for a 3 day summit in July to help build connections with their class and network with top aerospace professionals.

Interested? Keep a look out on our instagram for upcoming virtual info sessions where you can get an overview of the fellowship and we can answer any questions you may have. You can also sign up for our applicant Slack. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

I've seen a few posts/comments here from people who've interviewed or interacted with companies like CHAOS, Anduril, Raytheon, Lockheed, Boeing, etc, so figured this might be a good place to ask.

Has anyone here interviewed at CHAOS Industries and made it to the onsite/final interview loop? If so, what role were you interviewing for?

I'm particularly curious about what the onsite was like: how technical the individual interviews were, the general types of questions/topics that came up, and what they seemed to be evaluating.

Not looking for anyone to share confidential information or exact interview questions, just trying to get a feel for the format and level of technical depth to expect.

I'm interviewing for a cybersecurity/SOC role, but experiences from engineering or other technical roles would still be really useful.

I received 4 offers already 1 with boeing and 1 with microchip(microcheap). Chaos industries recruiter reached out to me and ask me if I would like to have an interview with them. I did some research and found out they are early startup. Is it worth to sacrifice stability for something like that. Job market is hella brutal rn. I would prefer not get layoff less than a year at a startup. Anybody working at chaos industries would like to give me some insight?

I'm an electrical engineer with ~6 years across defense and medical devices. I have two offers and I'm stuck. Would appreciate perspective, especially from anyone who's been through SAP vetting or made an engineering-to-PM move.

My situation

• Currently at a medical device company. Stable, no clearance required.
• Secret clearance, loss of jurisdiction since around December 2024. My understanding is the ~24-month reinstatement window closes around December 2026, so the clock matters.
• I have meaningful consumer debt — several accounts that went delinquent, a couple sold to collection agencies. I'm clearing the delinquent ones this week and the rest are on current payment plans. Nothing in litigation, no judgments, no bankruptcy.

Offer A — Program Management (Boeing)

• ~$23k more than Offer B, and a real raise over my current salary
• Requires Secret only. No TS, no SAP.
• Cost Account Management / IPT lead. This is a pivot out of hands-on engineering.
• My concern: I've never done PM work. Tracking cost and schedule across a team, being accountable for numbers other people generate. I worry about the pressure and about making costly mistakes while learning.

Offer B — Vehicle Engineer (Northrop Grumman)

• Lower salary, counter-offer pending
• Requires Secret to start, then TS within about a year, then SAP access
• Closer to my actual discipline, though the hiring manager flagged that I'd be learning CATIA, Creo, and NX — my background is electrical (PCB layout, signal integrity, power distribution, test fixtures), not mechanical CAD.

What I'm trying to figure out

1. Guideline F realistically. Does resolved delinquent debt with documentation carry differently at Secret vs. TS vs. SAP? Is two years of clean history before SAP nomination enough mitigation, or does the original delinquency follow you regardless?
2. If SAP access is denied. For those who've seen it: what actually happens? Does the company find you another role, or are you out? Is it standard to get this in writing before accepting?
3. The PM pivot. If I do 1–2 years of cost account management, how hard is it to get back into hardware engineering? Does an active clearance offset the resume gap in technical work?
4. Timeline realism. For someone with LOJ inside the window, how long does Secret reinstatement actually take right now? And Secret → TS after that?
5. If I take the Northrop role would the SAP process start years after I start like 2028 if I get a Top Secret in 2027?

Hi, Plz can someone provide views of good institute for Drone pilot training in Pune?

I received a new grad engineering offer from a Southern California defense startup for $107.5k base plus equity in ISOs. The posted salary range for the engineer position is $105k–$140k.
I’m currently interning at the company and would return full-time in June 2027. Between now and then, I’ll also be doing a three-month engineering internship at SpaceX before finishing school.
They also mentioned a possible $2.5k–$5k relocation stipend since I already live in Southern California, but nothing has been put in writing yet.
Given that the offer is toward the bottom of the posted range and I’ll be gaining additional technical experience before my start date, would it be reasonable to request an increase in base salary? I heard it’s always good to make an effort at negotiating.
This would be my first time negotiating a new grad offer, so I’d also appreciate any advice on how you’d approach the conversation with the recruiter.

Hello guys, how are you doing? I hope you’re having a great day!

I graduated just a few months ago with a degree in Computer Science, and I really love drones. My goal is to work in the drone industry .

Do you think pursuing a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering would be worth it for my goal, or is there a better path I should consider?

I was was looking for a future job in aerospace and I found GNC. My question is to know if they work on electronics (avionics)? What is his true role in conception? What are his comptences?

Are there any technical issues that would be hard to overcome?

I am wondering about people’s experiences with mechanical/ aerospace engineering meshing into piloting! I am hearing mixed things online about demand for commercial test pilots.
I am a high schooler who holds a PPL and is very interested in engineering. I love both aviation and engineering so I can’t decide. My parent works at an expensive university, and because of how long they have worked there, I will basically get an extra year of free tuition if I take a gap year. Is there any benefit if I work towards getting my commercial pilot and cfi certifications in my gap year? It would end up canceling out in costs with tuition, so there is no cost issue.

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Hi everyone!

I’m currently studying Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Torino (Italy). I’ve completed my Bachelor’s degree there and I’m currently in the first year of my Master’s.

I will do a Double Degree with Cranfield University, where I would study the MSc Thermal Power & Propulsion.

I’d really appreciate hearing from current or former Cranfield students, especially those who have taken TPP.

I’m particularly interested in:

How practical/hands-on is the course really?

How much work do you do with actual engines, test rigs or laboratory equipment?

How good are the opportunities for CFD, turbomachinery and engine performance projects?

Is it possible to join student teams such as CranSEDS or the Flight Club alongside the MSc?

How useful is the MSc for getting a job in propulsion/turbomachinery after graduation?

How difficult is the workload during the year?

And overall, would you recommend Cranfield TPP?

I’m especially interested in hearing honest opinions, including any drawbacks or things you wish you had known before starting.

Thanks in advance!

Please tell me what is the process of accelerating a satellite in case of launching it into orbit? What kind of fuel used there, that made satellite to achieve enormous speed? And it claim a lot of energy, right?

Hello all,

Over a year ago I had applied to Parker Aerospace for an embedded software developer position. I didn't hear anything back (and forgot I even applied tbh) until a couple weeks ago. Someone reached out to me personally and asked me if I was still interested in an opportunity and if I was, to fill out an application they sent.

I said I was hired at a different company but was still interested (Parker is based in my home state and I would like to move back there). Ever since then, I haven't heard anything. I'm curious to see how long people usually wait for this company. My lease ends in October so if I'm going to be moving I need to know before my new lease kicks in.

I'm already employed so I'm not desperate but mostly just curious to see how long others have waited. Even if I do hear back, are they a good company to work for? Thanks!