(February 23, 2019 at 12:12 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote:(February 23, 2019 at 11:42 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: How ever they do it there needs to be a core group that knows you can't just drive a space vehicle over to another one like you would on Earth. The specialists are going to need to be literally rocket scientists.
There are rocket scientists who can design workable rockets and space craft, and then there are “rocket scientists” who can be taught the concepts of how orbital mechanics work and able to use and make sense of the software that does the actual math.
The former is comparable to designers of modern aircraft, warships and even tanks. They are generally in the industry and not in the military. The latter anyone with a 4 year engineering or natural science degree can do, and a good few bright kids who haven’t been through college can also be taught to do.
In practice the personnel of a “space force” need not come close in intelligence and education normally ascribed to spacey things like NASA or ESA. The elite specialists actually in such a force would be bachelors and a few masters. No PhDs required.
As someone who actually was selected for the space program, you sound a lot like a guy who would never get near it. When there was a serious problem with a $450 million spacecraft inside of my station circle, I had to know what I was doing because I was the only guy on earth that could do anything about it. My job was to spot the problem and guide the crew through the correct operational procedures. The Air Force needed to be absolutely certain that I was up to it. I had to get it right or go to a court martial and possibly prison.
It's not the sort of job that you become qualified for by watching the Discovery channel.
We do not inherit the world from our parents. We borrow it from our children.