Space Engineering Technician
Reuben is a MAIT (Mechanical Assembly, Integration and Test) technician at RAL Space
I handle space hardware – making satellites and other equipment which go into space.
I build them up, fit the parts together and help test them to make sure they will survive both the launch and the harsh environment of space.
I often work in clean rooms (work areas free of dust or germs) or use big vacuum chambers (areas where we can pump all the air out to simulate what space is like). A lot of the spacecraft we make helps scientists monitor things like climate change and natural disasters, but they cover all sorts of other areas including astronomy, space weather, and space exploration.
Problem solving and critical thinking are huge. Things don’t always fit perfectly first time, and you have to work out what’s going on and how to fix it safely.
Motivation matters too because we often have tight deadlines, so you need to be proactive and keep things moving. Being practical helps, and you can learn to get good at that by just doing things again and again. It’s funny as I wasn’t naturally good at hands-on stuff as a kid, and I’m left-handed, which makes it more tricky, but I’m an example that if you keep trying, you can learn the skills!
Communication is also important. These are big projects with lots of people involved, so you need to explain what you’ve done, what you’ve changed and what someone else needs to know next. A big part of the job is writing down what you did in a procedure so there’s traceability, which means keeping data and proof of the steps taken, and making a detailed record that someone can follow in future.
I love the problem solving. It really makes me think, and I like that my brain has to stay switched on. I also love that it’s hands on and I’m not sat behind a desk all day.
I’m dyslexic, so I always knew a job that was just computer work wouldn’t suit me. I still have to write procedures and emails (you can never fully escape that), but most of the time I’m physically building and handling real hardware, from tiny parts to big support structures.
People often think space projects happen fast, but they can take years. You might build a small component now, and the mission won’t launch until years later.
Even after something launches, there are teams who keep it running for years, handling the data and making sure it stays in the right orbit.
My team is small, with around 7 technicians, but we work across lots of projects. Even if we’re not all on the same job at the same time, we swap around and collaborate a lot. The best bit is knowing I can turn to anyone and say I need a hand with something, and people will jump in and help.
We’ve also got a real mix of backgrounds – some people came through apprenticeships, some through university routes, and some (like me) took a less structured path. That variety is genuinely useful because everyone brings different skills and ways of thinking.
I’ve worked on three projects that have been launched into space. Two of them were Earth observation satellites: MicroCarb (monitoring carbon emissions over cities) and EnMAP (looking at pollution in rivers). Another was a telecommunications satellite.
I also worked on a component for a lunar lander, but it had problems on launch and didn’t make it – it came back down and burnt up in Earth’s atmosphere. That was disappointing, but it’s part of the industry. It’s still really hard to launch things into space, and lots can go wrong. When it does go right though, it feels amazing.
I’m looking at doing an HNC (Higher National Certificate) in mechanical engineering. I’ve learned loads on the job, but I’d like the theory behind what I’m doing, and a qualification on paper as well.
At school, I wasn’t that fussed about education and learning. I also remember being pretty clumsy growing up (my dad still jokes about how on earth did I became a technician!). I’m left-handed too, and a lot of tools and setups are made for right-handed people, which can make things awkward at first.
Looking back, I think what helped most was persevering and getting more confident by doing practical things over time.
I like doing things that feel really different from work – you need a proper break. I play board games, and I go to gigs a lot – I'm mostly into punk and metal, but I like other stuff too.
I’m also involved in an environmental group called Sustainable Didcot. We run a repair café where people bring broken items and we try to fix them, which helps stop things going into landfill.
We use an ultrasonic bath, which is a bath that uses sound waves to clean parts, instead of water. Because our hardware needs to be super clean, we’ll put things like bolts in and turn it on, and you can literally see dirt coming off that you couldn’t even see before.
It’s very satisfying, and it’s important because cleanliness really matters when you’re building something that’s going into space. A spec of dirt or dust could affect how something works.
Just keep at it. If you don’t know your destination yet, keep trying things and you’ll find your way. It’s as much about finding what you don’t want to do, as finding out what you do want to do.
Also, don’t be afraid to try – say yes to opportunities when they come up as you never know what they could lead to.
Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.
