Discover a career that is out of this world
When you think of space, you might think of astronauts, but a career in space can include so many other roles!
There are numerous missions you can choose from, whether it’s exploring the stars or calculating a satellite’s orbit. You could be an astronomer looking through telescopes (and other equipment) to study the planets, stars and other celestial objects, or a space scientist using the laws of science to understand the universe. Maybe you’ll be drawn to astrophysics, delving into the mysteries of black holes and the birth of stars.
A career in space can also take you all over the country, including Queensland. At the moment, 20% of the nation’s space-related jobs are in Queensland, and it hopes its space industry will create up to 6000 Queensland jobs by 2036. Will you be lucky enough to scoop one of them up?
Whether you’re fascinated by the night sky or the thrill of innovation, careers in space offer endless job opportunities – and many can be done from the comfort of your home planet.
From science to crypto
Karlie Noon spends her days trying to unravel the Milky Way’s Secrets
Karlie, a Kamilaroi astronomer, found her passion for the field through her deep appreciation for her culture, nature and science. “Astronomy and really all physics play a really big role in Indigenous culture,” she says.
Her PhD bridges the gap between theoretical physics and observational astronomy. She gets to work with cutting-edge radio telescopes to gather data on star-formation materials, which helps predict the galaxy’s lifespan.
While many astronomers focus on distant galaxies, Karlie’s more drawn to the Milky Way. “I find it really interesting that there’s a lot we don’t understand about our home galaxy,” she says.
She loves seeing a small part of the galaxy come to life before her eyes. “Seeing that first image of something that no one has seen before is really magical.”
Unlike traditional scientists, astronomers cannot control the environment they study, so they use simulations to test their theories instead. “Astronomers are very deprived scientists. We don’t have labs, we can’t control what the galaxy is doing or anything like that,” Karlie says.
“Simulations are an opportunity to test our understanding of our theories and the physics that we know. And also an opportunity for us to run experiments that we normally wouldn’t be able to run,” she adds.
“We essentially take what we know from theory, from all our equations and all our different theories within physics, and we try to simulate the galaxy.”
Advice for aspiring astrophysicists
Here are Karlie’s career tips for those aspiring to follow in her footsteps.
- Embrace failure: “In science, you will fail 99% of the time. You have to get used to separating your self-worth from your success rate. Failing is normal.”
- Be resilient: “The difference between being successful and unsuccessful is that you pick yourself up and keep going and keep trying.”
- Balance your life: “Live a really balanced, happy, healthy life to be able to show up every day with curiosity and passion.”
Karlie’s study and career pathway
- Bachelor of Mathematics / Bachelor of Science (Physics), University of Newcastle
- Graduate student, CSIRO
- Master of Astronomy & Astrophysics, ANU
- Indigenous heritage officer, Department of the Environment and Heritage
- Science communicator, Freelance
- PhD candidate (Astronomy & Astrophysics), ANU
This article first appeared in Careers with STEM: Science 2025.
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