Junior Orbital Debris Analyst
The Pitch
You will track space junk and predict collisions. There are 30,000 objects orbiting Earth. Someone needs to know where they are.
The Anti-Pitch
You will not launch rockets. You will not design satellites. You will stare at orbital data and flag when two things might hit each other.
What You'll Actually Do
- -Analyze orbital tracking data for debris objects
- -Run conjunction analyses (will these two things collide?)
- -Visualize debris density in different orbital regimes
- -Research the history of specific debris-creating events
Output Expectations
Conjunction reports, debris maps, and the occasional "oh no" moment when two objects get too close.
The 20-Day Journey
Orbital Mechanics 101
Learn how orbits work. Understand TLEs. Know what a conjunction is.
Your First Analysis
Pick 10 objects. Track them for a week. Visualize their paths.
Conjunction Hunting
Run conjunction analyses. Find near-misses. Understand the uncertainty.
Making It Real
Create a visualization that makes people care about space debris.
The Crowded Sky
What did you learn about humanity's presence in space?
How You Know It's Working
- -You can explain Kessler syndrome to a senator
- -You flag a conjunction that the automated system missed
- -You understand why some orbits are more dangerous than others
Why This Matters
Why Now
Starlink. OneWeb. Amazon Kuiper. The orbits are getting crowded and someone needs to watch.
The Goal
You're learning to see the invisible traffic jam above our heads.
What You Need
Required Mindset
- - Attention to detail (one decimal point matters)
- - Basic orbital mechanics intuition
- - Comfort with large, messy datasets
- - Interest in space that goes beyond "rockets are cool"
Helpful Background
- - Physics, Aerospace, or Astronomy major
- - Played Kerbal Space Program
- - Any experience with 3D coordinate systems
Not Required
No aerospace engineering degree. No security clearance. No fear of math.
Your Toolkit
Hard Tools
Soft Tools
- - Spatial reasoning
- - Time series analysis
- - Clear reporting
Survival Skill
Understanding that "close" in space means something very different than on Earth.
Try the next step
Use a real job posting to check its AI exposure, or build skills through a practical training project.