Question I'm asking those who have jobs

[Unstung]

I currently don't have a job other than studying, doing homework, and procrastinating, but I've done this over the summer.

Posting this here feels appropriate:

The [Mars] image went through processing like all Mars rover images using custom software, but not Photoshop. I am familiar with the process used to calibrate the MER (Spirit and Opportunity) Pancams, which shares some similarities with what is done to Curiosity data.

Good images that don't contain data dropouts (the entire image has not yet been fully downlinked), are not overexposed, and so on, are selected in custom made software. After the good images are selected, they are calibrated. Since the MERs use a color filter wheel, multiple images of a target are taken in different wavelengths. The calibrator ensures the images are aligned and selects the colors on the calibration target (sundial on Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity). The software produces a color or false color (depends on what filters are used, usually IR/UV ones to show the geological composition of the rocks) image based on the calibration data. Then the results are briefly studied, confirming their quality.

Curiosity has color cameras, so using three filters to make an RGB image isn't necessary, but the images may also be processed in a similar way. Unlike what is seen from Curiosity, official MER panoramas include entire images and do not merge any parts together so no data is removed. The seams between the images can be seen, but in a Curiosity panorama they are blended together.

 

[Xyon]

Orbiter Forum Moderator.

Oh, and PHP programmer too. That one I get paid for. I do websites for a variety of UK companies on behalf of the digital media company I work for (which is, in turn, part of the Trinity Mirror group, a large UK-based media conglomerate currently dealing with some phone hacking scandals which don't really affect me).

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Transcription Services Officer.
If you want to know what it entails I'll tell after Face gets an answer from Pipcard, I'm just as curious.

 

[Izack]

Vendor for a tree farm / nursery at Home Depot by day... Dishwasher by night. Not exactly a rewarding career, but it's better than unemployment (which is what I'm looking at in two weeks when both the HD Seasonal department and the restaurant close.) Got kicked out of college after running out of money, otherwise I might be an app developer (and consequently not so poor) right now. Oh, well.

 

[Pipcard]

I was just curious as to the kinds of jobs which spaceflight/Orbiter enthusiasts had (like, are there a lot of aerospace engineers?). Nothing more than that. If you feel uncomfortable about telling your job, or if sharing what your job is causes you to get fired, just don't share it; it's fine. I'm sorry for just asking the question suddenly.

 

[sitha241]

I am on university studying physics but I work at nights reparing mobile phones and laptops and that sort of thing cause being lazy and not finishing education in time costs

 

[Capt_hensley]

Networked Server Systems Engineer. WARSIM Engineer.
I go out 30 days at a whack, setup a network in a sim center with 300 client stations and a very small rack server farm, and provide WARSIM, Logfed, AWSIM, and a few other C2 & C4I feeds to the US Army.

My simulation drives the training that follows. The US Army General Staff, and command and field officers learn how to make war in a two week period. Than we tear it all down, redeploy and do the same thing somewhere else.

We travel the states, and overseas. Places like Germany, Korea, Hawaii, Alaska, Japan and so on...

It's the easiest computer related job I've ever done, and I'm a well paid bum. Northrop Grumman also pays me to go to school. Hence my Masters Degree in Infomation Technology Management will be complete in Oct. Can't wait. In just one year I can decide what to do. Apply for the Sr IT manager position at SpaceX, Work for the Johnson Space center in LasCruces, or some other contractor at the NM Space Port. Apply at White Sands, Holloman AFB, I've even thought about working on Sandia Peak for the US Gov at the solar observatories.

Or just retire and do anything I want from nothing to traveling the states in an RV.

 

[astrosammy]

Helping out in a logistics center. Mostly loading shoes bound for Moscow into trucks and loading windows onto pallets.
It was only a few times per month, and I didn't hear from them since my travel to Norway.
Maybe I'll try to get something else soon.

After leaving that thing we call "Fachhochschule" in Germany (which is something like a University) because I had no hope to finish it,
I'm trying to get into aircraft maintenance or production. That will certainly include moving away from home, that's what I'm saving the money for.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

I was just curious as to the kinds of jobs which spaceflight/Orbiter enthusiasts had (like, are there a lot of aerospace engineers?). Nothing more than that. If your job is too classified, just don't share it; it's fine. I'm sorry for just asking the question suddenly.

But you didnt share your job did you? Maybe you do work for the NSA! :lol:

I imagine we've already tripped automatic NSA surveillance just by saying the word so many times.

As for me, I'm currently working two jobs and, as I have been for the last several months, although my hours are less now that I'm back in school.

My weekend job is washing dishes for the cafe at YKF (Waterloo regional airport). I'm also using the money from that job to pay for flying lessons at the airport every now & then, although that looks less promising now, as the current owners lease is going to expire in a few weeks.

My week-day job is at a place called Lens Mills, the flagship store to a chain with ten locations around southern Ontario, selling fabrics. The actual building itself is located down by the speed river, and was originally used in WW1 to produce textiles for the war effort. I run a machine up on the third floor that takes bolts of fabrics, folds them over once, and rolls them onto a piece of cardboard with the price. Its repetitive, tiring work, especially in the summer, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.



---------- Post added at 12:57 ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 ----------

Networked Server Systems Engineer. WARSIM Engineer.
I go out 30 days at a whack, setup a network in a sim center with 300 client stations and a very small rack server farm, and provide WARSIM, Logfed, AWSIM, and a few other C2 & C4I feeds to the US Army.

My simulation drives the training that follows. The US Army General Staff, and command and field officers learn how to make war in a two week period. Than we tear it all down, redeploy and do the same thing somewhere else.

We travel the states, and overseas. Places like Germany, Korea, Hawaii, Alaska, Japan and so on...

It's the easiest computer related job I've ever done, and I'm a well paid bum. Northrop Grumman also pays me to go to school. Hence my Masters Degree in Infomation Technology Management will be complete in Oct. Can't wait. In just one year I can decide what to do. Apply for the Sr IT manager position at SpaceX, Work for the Johnson Space center in LasCruces, or some other contractor at the NM Space Port. Apply at White Sands, Holloman AFB, I've even thought about working on Sandia Peak for the US Gov at the solar observatories.

Or just retire and do anything I want from nothing to traveling the states in an RV.

Out of curiosity, were you involved with this at all?

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Challenge_2002"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Challenge_2002[/ame]

My apologies if the question is security sensitive.

 

[Face]

I was just curious as to the kinds of jobs which spaceflight/Orbiter enthusiasts had (like, are there a lot of aerospace engineers?). Nothing more than that. If sharing what your job is causes you to get fired, just don't share it; it's fine. I'm sorry for just asking the question suddenly.

Oh, there's nothing to be sorry about, it just looked like there might be some sort of agenda behind.

I'm currently working as Software Engineer (developing everything from kernel drivers for embedded controllers to PC engineering tools), but had flight engineering in HTL (federal secondary college of engineering). Never made it to an actual job in this particular field, though, and besides some years as design engineer in the field of automation machines, I quickly migrated over to computer science.

I think most of us dreamed of flying to space one way or the other while young, but reality puts you into bread jobs in the end. At least if you have to feed a family. I guess you are lucky if this job is then also interesting.

 

[PeriapsisPrograde]

I'm a bagger at a grocery store that still has baggers.

 

[Enjo]

After leaving that thing we call "Fachhochschule" in Germany (which is something like a University) because I had no hope to finish it,

Sorry to hear that, mate. I've also almost failed control engineering course, but I was reborn in computer science. Maybe there's still a chance?

 

[n122vu]

Application Developer. I transferred to my current position back in February from another arm of the business. In my previous position I mainly supported our website (VB.NET, Javascript, JQuery), Intranet site (Sharepoint), and was heavily involved in the supporting documents/report-writing phase of implementing a new ERP system (Crystal Reports, SSRS 2008 R2, creating invoice, bill-of-lading, and purchase order document templates for example). By heavily involved, I'm referring to the fact that I got a crash course in Crystal Reports (no one else in any part of the company knew it) and was the only one at the time that knew how the documents worked. My boss refused to learn it, had too much on his plate already.

I'm currently getting OJT in SAP/ABAP, and also support our company's timekeeping software, Kronos Workforce Central (saved the company over $90k in my first 3 months on the job by taking on the project of upgrading to a new version and performing the upgrade myself with in-house resources rather than bringing in Kronos consultants). I am also the secondary contact for our SharePoint site collection.

 

[Donamy]

HVAC contractor ... Eh, it pays the bills. I would love doing a job designing spacecraft. :lol:

 

[Shifty]

Electrical engineer. Currently supporting pure science research in plasma physics for eventual application to fusion energy development. Former US Navy surface nuclear power systems officer.

 

[george7378]

I've only had two jobs in my life - I used to work in a warehouse one day per week while I was at school until they no longer needed me, then this summer I've been working in a US national park. Neither have paid fantastically, but I'm not too bothered about this with the latter

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

I've only had two jobs in my life - I used to work in a warehouse one day per week while I was at school until they no longer needed me, then this summer I've been working in a US national park. Neither have paid fantastically, but I'm not too bothered about this with the latter

How are you going to get through school?

 

[RacerX]

So, you are not working for an intelligence agency, because you would then have an alternative official job as engineer, developer or diplomatic assistant, that you can state instead of saying, that your job is secret.

pipefitter and owned by germans.

 

[Urwumpe]

pipefitter and owned by germans.

Well, you can always claim that you are actually owned by Austrians. :lol:

 

[RacerX]

Well, you can always claim that you are actually owned by Austrians. :lol:

roger that urwumpe...roger that