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Asked by THE MAN to Aisling, Colin, Laurence, Ned, Niamh on 28 Feb 2016.
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Ned Dwyer answered on 28 Feb 2016:
Yes, generally I enjoy what I do, although there are days when you might prefer to stay under the duvet and not head to work! I´d like to think it is useful. Sommetimes our work is a small contribution to a bigger picture. There are very few Einsteins out there. However, I have written quite a few articles which get published in scientific magazines. These have been read by hundreds of people to help them in their research, so hopefully I have made a difference in that sense. Sometimmes I consider it like buildig a house. I add one brick and someone else adds another brick and working together we eventually make a building together.
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Colin Shirran answered on 28 Feb 2016:
Sometimes the work, just like every other job, can be tedious and not enjoyable. I find that it’s important to remember that all of the little things you do in this job add up to a much bigger picture. It’s easy to forget all this when you sit at a desk all day. It’s usually a little thing that reminds you of this and brings back that enthusiasm and reignites the imagination. For me, its often reading an article, or watching a video of a launch or even taking some time to go down to the factory floor and have a look at some of the satellites we have currently being built!
I definitely think that the space industry has a huge impact on the modern world and makes a difference. Whether it is a constellation of earth observing satellites being used to study and determine the next natural disaster or the satellite making sure that you get to your destination on time. The reality is that the modern world wouldn’t operate as it does without the space industry.
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Aisling Shannon answered on 29 Feb 2016:
I really enjoy most parts of my job and am less enthusiastic by some parts (the boring bits like filling in time sheets). There is something about space that captures a lot of peoples imagination, so it is great to be part of that, although quite often you feel like a very small part. Some of the projects I have worked on have launched and are already working for several years providing data. It is really satisfying to know the work I did, to make sure those spacecraft were strong enough, means that the data can be used across the world to improve peoples lives, or to help understand better the world around them.
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Laurence O'Rourke answered on 29 Feb 2016:
I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear that there is no perfect job existing in this world 🙂
Every job will have its ups & downs and that is a normal part of life. What you have to hope (and search for) are those jobs that give you more ups than downs. I’m in one of those jobs – it is rewarding and I get a lot out of it (the ups) but then sometimes it drives me up the walls (the downs). Engineering is really one of those jobs – a job which will always challenge.
Is working in space a cool job? Absolutely – there are very few jobs like it. But it is every tough – you get challenged daily which is great but can also be tiring. This is why no matter how good or cool your job is, recognise that life outside of your job is just as (if not more) important; recharging is a key part of any good job. Recharging = holidays :0)
Does my job make a difference to the world: I like to think so – I think Rosetta is a project which captures peoples attention and imagination. I’ve given many talks to the public and I really see that it does make a difference; it’s important to keep people’s imagination and desire for exploration alive.
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Niamh Shaw answered on 1 Mar 2016:
I love what I do- I want to remind people that we are all naturally curious and its my job to try to light that spark and help people figure out what subject that they are most curious about. Obviously I always hope that its Space, but if it isn’t thats ok too. As long as people find the thing they love doing the most, I’m happy
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