Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Help! Ds wants to design/engineer spacecraft

62 replies

HullyEastergully · 13/12/2012 11:21

How what where when can he go and do?

What about residential courses etc??

I know of Smallpeice but none other.

All help most gratefully received.

OP posts:
Original poster
HullyEastergully · 14/12/2012 15:16

Ok.

I don't understand the Stanford process. That is the first hurdle.

OP posts:
TalkinPeace2 · 14/12/2012 15:09

engineering.stanford.edu/
cos then I can go visit him Xmas Wink

Original poster
HullyEastergully · 14/12/2012 15:04

what about stanford?

OP posts:
Original poster
HullyEastergully · 14/12/2012 15:03

well it's bloody hard. I'm an artsy fartsy type, I don't know anything about any of it and ds needs to know somehow and obvs won't do it himself

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 14/12/2012 14:51

Supportive, talking, supportiveGrin

TalkinPeace2 · 14/12/2012 14:37

so is my DS
have we just found a whole new category of pushy parent? Xmas Grin

JenaiMathis · 14/12/2012 14:28

I researched automative engineering courses for ds nearly two years ago. He is 12 Xmas Blush

TalkinPeace2 · 14/12/2012 14:19

I've told DS he's going to Stanford, whether he wants to or not !

TeWisBeenNargledByTheMistletoe · 14/12/2012 14:11

Yes of course. British engineers seem very well respected. An awful lot choose to go overseas after qualifying for exciting projects though.

I just quite fancy moving somewhere sunny.Xmas Grin

Lots of sub-contracting too, so you could work (or get experience) in the UK with someone that makes a small part of the finished product for an international company.

TalkinPeace2 · 14/12/2012 13:58

Virgin Galactic may work in the US, but a LOT of their engineers are products of the UK Universities.

The other opportunity for engineers is Formula 1 : all the teams work in and around Slough.
DS dream job is to be chief engineer of the REd Bull Formula 1 - or even Formula E - team, when that comes on line.

TeWisBeenNargledByTheMistletoe · 14/12/2012 13:52

Er, possibly I mean New Mexico. Guilty of not listening. Just having a look at their website and one of their directors did mech eng at Imperial.

TeWisBeenNargledByTheMistletoe · 14/12/2012 13:36

Virgin galactic are based in California, DH keeps checking their job lists!

Oh which DH is not remotely like Howard, if he was he wouldn't be my DH! He'd love to move into this field, just getting experience and looking for the right opportunity.

Original poster
HullyEastergully · 14/12/2012 12:32

On that basis he should go to Bali. As should I.

OP posts:
JenaiMathis · 14/12/2012 12:29

Utterly irrelevant but I was in Budgens earlier and they has Malteasters (giant Maltesers shaped like bunnies). In December.

I thought of you Hully.

Your son should go to Bristol because it is an excellent place (can't comment on courses as I know nothing).

moonbells · 14/12/2012 10:35

Taking note of this thread... I've a 5yo who wants to be an aero engineer, though he insists that he can build a new Concorde out of Lego Xmas Grin

I also decided on my career before the age of 10, so I have no doubt he'll do it. (The engineer part, not the Concorde!)

Original poster
HullyEastergully · 14/12/2012 10:34

Quite.

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 14/12/2012 10:30

Thanks, it's good to know the stereotype no longer necessarily holds true...

especially if you've got a sociable, windsurfing girl who might want to go this way. So, not all Howard Wolowitzes? Grin

Original poster
HullyEastergully · 14/12/2012 10:16

Thanks, it's good to know the stereotype no longer necessarily holds true...

OP posts:
TeWisBeenNargledByTheMistletoe · 14/12/2012 10:00

Please excuse my garbled posts, not getting much sleep!

TeWisBeenNargledByTheMistletoe · 14/12/2012 09:59

In actual space related stuff as opposed to aircraft: very bright, not brilliant social skills, bit of a pedant. Nice though.

I forgot to say lots of people on aeronautical engineering students will be looking to work in f1, so it's quite usual to do a course that doesn't look like quite the right one, but is because if the content. If he can get some relevant work experience that will really help.

Eastpoint · 14/12/2012 09:51

Cousin is mid-30s, was really into sailing, windsurfing & diving, fairly sociable & friendly.

Lilymaid · 14/12/2012 09:43

Your DS might be interested in the Schools Aerospace Challenge if he can get his school interested too.

Original poster
HullyEastergully · 14/12/2012 09:27

Those that know people working in the industry and loving it, what type of people (personality) are they iykwim?

OP posts:
Eastpoint · 14/12/2012 06:25

My cousin was obsessed with Star Wars from 2. He did astro-physics at Edinburgh and now works for the European Space Agency. He does satellite launch & design. He really enjoys his work and has a girlfriend based in Germany who works in the same industry.

sashh · 14/12/2012 05:22

Write to Richard Branson and ask how he can get in touch with whoever is designing / building his spacecraft.