One way to find out is to look at the biographies of the scientists that have helped produce 'Space Observatories in School'. They show a wide range of backgrounds. Many found school work easy but others found it a real challenge.  Above all, they all work hard and care passionately about the quality of their work.

You can enter a career in space through either a mathematical or scientific route. You will need a good set of A level results and a degree. Look carefully at what extra courses you can do at the university you select. Some mathematicians chose to do astronomy research projects in their final year and that got them into working with SOHO or HST. You need to be happy working at a computer. Most astronomers spend their working day staring at a screen. They use computers to model their theories and make predictions or explain data from their observatory.

If you are interested in the public outreach area of space then teaching, journalism, web design, image processing and publishing could be your route in. A creative flair and an ability to get the job done in the time available are probably the most important skills you need.

Astronomy is the biggest amateur science in the world and a working knowledge could help in your ambition to work in the space industry although we found mathematicians working for NASA and ESA who had never looked through a telescope.

Who should you work for?   ESA employ people directly, like Bernhard Fleck, on a permanent basis.   However it is more common to have a fixed term contract like Danielle Bewsher.   At the moment it is very difficult for foreign national to work directly for NASA as they are a US government agency.   Most UK scientist working for NASA are actually employed by a company called L3 Communications Government Sciences.  However our inside sources think that this will probably change in the next few years as NASA is predicting a shortage of qualified people with the skills they need.   However most people do not work for either space agency; they work for Universities.  Helen Mason, Stephen Smartt and Richard de Grijs are all UK based with permanent research and teaching posts.

Whist there are a fleet of current space observatories and probes opperating throughout the solar system, they are outnumbered by the ground based observatories.  The UK is good for radio observatory like Jodrell Bank at Manchester, but we also have strong UK presence at worldwide observatories such as European Southern Observatory in Chile, European Northern Observatory in the Canary Islands, the Joint Astronomy Centre in Hawaii and Southern African LargeTelescope in South Africa.

The main UK government funding agency for astronomy is the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council.

If you want to be an astronaut your best bet is to be a scientist.   In the days of the Moon missions you needed to be a pilot.  Now, when the shuttle flies, five out of the seven crew are scientists.   If you think this is an impossible ambition, it is worth remembering that the most successful NASA astronaut is UK born Michael Foale.

And don't forget industry.   You may have a satellite dish attached to your house.   Companies like the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company employ over 13 thousand people in the UK with over a thousand in its space divisions  EADS Space, making, launching and operating satellites and other spacecraft.

Working with the scientists on SOS, we found out that UK scientists have an advantage over most other countries in science research. Most UK students finish their PhD several years before the others. This means that they can then carry out research in several post doctoral posts around the world before they are likely to get married and have children. It is in this period that scientists make a name for themselves and are able to get broad experience in the research field. Post docs from other countries are often finishing their PhD and entering the post-doc research field just as they start a family and in some ways would like to settle down. We know that having a family is the last thing you have in mind at high school, but it's worth storing away this fact if you are attracted to a career in scientific research.

Finally you are lucky enough to be a member of the first generation to have direct access into the world of space science research - the internet! The World Wide Web was designed (by UK scientist Tim Berners-Lee) to let scientists communicate, not to sell things on eBay or download pirate music tracks. ESA, NASA and hundreds of other research institutions around the world publish their current research on the net. You can learn about current space science research like never before.   Surf the net and explore the Universe - you've made a good start with Space Observatories in School.

Good Luck

Mike and Graham