Brett Rocket Scientist


About Brett Rocket Scientist

Brett creates artful work in engineering, ideas, and innovation. In addition to 2 degrees, 3 patents, and over 15 years experience in aerospace engineering, he is the author of several books to foster STEM careers. He volunteers his time and skills as an officer with professional societies.

Starbase as an official city means rocket scientist unique jobs

Historic news from this month, widely reported in many news outlets, such as ZeroHedge, is that Elon Musk’s Starbase Is Now A Real City. This is exciting news for SpaceX and their audacious efforts to bring Starship reusable rocket operations into a full tempo. But let’s think bigger picture here. Starbase as an official city […]


How to do aerospace in college without an aero engineering major

This month I had an energizing and enlightening visit to see some students at the University of Nevada in Reno. They are all passionate about aerospace and aviation. But none of them are aerospace engineering majors. Because UNR doesn’t have an aerospace engineering department! Or an aerospace engineering major. However, through a student-led club called […]


Getting laid off sucks. Here’s what I did next.

Getting laid off sucks. Usually. Sometimes it is actually immediately seen as a good thing. But when I got laid off from Boeing in the summer of 2014, I did not initially see it as a good thing. There have been some major layoffs in the aerospace world recently. Last week, Blue Origin announced it […]


What is it like to work at SpaceX?

What is it like to work at SpaceX? REENTRY, the latest book by space journalist Eric Berger, is a thrilling look inside the company in the years that it struggled to make its boosters reusable, produce a Dragon capsule that could deliver supplies and astronauts to the space station, and compete against the traditional aerospace […]


Setting your systems, not goals, for 02025

As we wrap up the year 02024, I have some brief thoughts that will (hopefully) benefit anyone who wants to enter the world of aerospace and aviation in their years ahead. These thoughts are about setting your systems, not goals, for 02025. In case you are wondering why I wrote the year with 5 digits, […]


Astro sMarta gives inspirational lessons from the remote land of Macedonia

Suppose you dream of being a “rocket scientist” of some kind… doing great things in the world of aerospace or aviation. But you live in a remote place where nobody you know has ever done this. If you can relate to this, I want you to meet Martina Dimoska. She lives in Macedonia which is […]


NASA Space Apps Challenge is a Resounding Success for Many

The NASA Space Apps Challenge is an international annual hackathon that provides a way for almost anyone to be a “rocket scientist” for a weekend. If you want an innovative, fun, and welcoming pathway towards an education or career in the aerospace field, this is a great opportunity for you. I was thrilled to be […]


You can be a rocket scientist for a weekend in October

The weekend of October 5th & 6th in 2024 offers the special chance for anyone – including you who is reading this – to be a “rocket scientist” who makes a real product and impact! This will be the next annual NASA Space Apps Challenge. This is a weekend hackathon where teams assemble from people […]


SpaceKids Global competition to become a space journalist

There are many pathways to become a “rocket scientist.” One career out there related to rocket science is a space journalist. How can you become a space journalist if you are a kid 8 to 12 years old? If you know a child in the USA, the SpaceKids Global organization has a fantastic competition open […]