• Question: what do you have to take in GCSE to become space engineer

    Asked by Kabir on 11 Nov 2020.
    • Photo: Declan Vogt

      Declan Vogt answered on 11 Nov 2020:

      If you’re thinking of engineering (space or any other), you want to take as much maths as you can get, and physics or chemistry (if you want to do chemical engineering – to invent rock fuels?) or both. They’re the fundamentals that underpin engineering and that explain why we do what we do.

      Don’t neglect your languages – we have to communicate with people, and that’s language.

    • Photo: Jarryd Braithwaite

      Jarryd Braithwaite answered on 11 Nov 2020:

      I would suggest looking at the degree(s) that you are interested and checking their requirements. This will be for A-levels, however you will need to take the same GCSE subject to be allowed to take it at A-level as far as I am aware.

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 11 Nov 2020:

      Hey Kabir. I would say that the essentials are maths, physics, biology and chemistry. I also personally regret not taking more languages as I worked for a few years in Europe and would have found German and French very useful (France and Germany are very involved in the European space industry)

    • Photo: Steve Williams

      Steve Williams answered on 11 Nov 2020:

      You would certainly need maths and depending on what type of engineer you intend to be physics would probably be essential too. I am a software engineer so physics is not essential in my case but still worth having. In the end it depends what subject interest you as you will find it much more enjoyable to study a subject you like and are interested in.

    • Photo: Tris Warren

      Tris Warren answered on 11 Nov 2020:

      For GSCE – Maths and science are useful. I did Maths, Science, English, History, Geography, PE, French, DT electronics.

    • Photo: Harriet Gamble

      Harriet Gamble answered on 12 Nov 2020:

      There are a few ways to become a space engineer, the most common is to get a degree but you can also go down an apprenticeship route. This website might be quite helpful for you as it will tell you more about the best subjects to choose at school if you want to get into aerospace (which is anything to do with flying on Earth or in Space!).

      https://www.careersinaerospace.com/entry-routes/

    • Photo: John Davies

      John Davies answered on 12 Nov 2020:

      I did the usual suspects. Maths, Physics, Chemistry. I went off to be a scientist who works with engineers not an actual engineer but I’m pretty sure Maths and Physics are the main things to study. That gives a solid base from which you can branch out into all kinds of technical subjects.
      I agree about languages, we’re very lucky that most scientists and engineers speak English but it makes us lazy. So do try to keep up with French, German or maybe Chinese.

    • Photo: raam shanker

      raam shanker answered on 19 Nov 2020:

      Physics and Maths, more than anything else. Also, Chemistry. Languages that we use to communicate with one another.

    • Photo: Roy HAWORTH

      Roy HAWORTH answered on 19 Nov 2020:

      Airbus run an apprenticeship programme and the GCSE requirements to get on that scheme are English, Maths and a Science plus tow other GCSE’s you have to get Grade 4 at all of them except the Maths where you need a Grade 6. Maths is really important. For the other 2 GCSE’s we like to see either further sciences or DT, Engineering, Geography or languages.

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