Help! Ds wants to design/engineer spacecraft

[HullyEastergully]

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.

[frankie4]

My ds is dyslexic and might not get into top universities but wants to do this sort of engineering. Has anyone heard of Dr Maggie Aderin -Pocock who works at Astrium, who is an engineer, comes to talk at schools sometimes - She is dyslexic.

[bruffin]

Sorry haven't heard of Dr Pocock, but my ds is dyslexic and so is my dh who is an engineer. I think there is probably a higher proportion of engineers that are dyslexic.
My dh left school at 15 and did an old fashioned apprenticeship and got his qualifications that way.
Ds is now doing A levels and hopefully now he can concentrate on what he is good at, he can get the qualifications he needs to do get where he wants.
How old is your son Frankie?

[frankie4]

He is only 12 - I'm just thinking ahead
I know there are lots of dyslexic engineers and my ds is very technical and good at making things. I guess I will have to wait and see if he is academic enough for an engineering degree....

[bruffin]

I just realised who the doctor is, saw a programme she did on the moon.
If he is good at making things and design, get him to for the Arkwright Scholarship I mentioned above when he is yr 11. It involves two parts
Firstly an exam with very little writing.
Ds had to design 3 different machines to remove snow, then a bubble making machine for a nursery.
The best from that go forward to the interview stage where they have to present a project. Ds went to Imperial College for the day for that.

[frankie4]

Bruffin-thanks for that, I looked at some of the example questions on their website and it looks the sort of thing my ds would do for fun! I will keep it in mind. I just hope that he does well in maths at school. Well done to your ds for doing so well.

[Nicknamenotavailableeither]

Dh works for Surrey satellite technology (Sstl) as senior engineer doing exactly that! He did electronics engineering at Southampton but says he would recommend Surrey as Sstl have big links with them.

[bruffin]

Thanks Frankie, very proud of him.
He is in the picture of the award ceremony on the home page. He is in the very bottom right hand corner, next to the girl with white blouse.

[NewFerry]

Nick can I ask if his company also has links with mech eng department at Surrey? My DS has an offer from them for next year, subject to passing his exams of course!

[HullyEastergully]

Oh this fell off. It's come back. Bruffin, did your ds do dt gcse at school?

My ds is dyslexic too (retrieval ishoos)

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

You might find some ideas on the Bloodhound SSC project as well. Although its a car, because its aimed to be the first car to travel at 1000 mph, I assume it draws heavily on aeronautics.

www.bloodhoundssc.com/education/opportunities-engage

[bruffin]

Ds did electronic engineering btec.
He is now doing maths, further maths, physics and philosophy AS and another engineering course on the side. Not sure what it is though.

[TalkinPeace2]

The Bloodhound team do LOTS of promotional stuff
its a car, with a jet engine, based on whacky chemistry for the fuel and lots of vibration research

thats the thing nowadays - so much inter disciplinary work going on at unis ....