Passion for aerospace drawing young Canadians into challenging field

Courtney Skene-Hamilton is living her childhood dream of working in Canada’s aerospace industry.

“From a young age I was very interested in aviation and aerospace — space in particular,” says Hamilton.The Spectrophotometer is an instrument which measures the amount of light of a specificed wavelength which passes through a medium. Highly capable, 3-axis non-contact video measuring machine, suitable for both simple shop-floor quality control and advanced manufacturing inspection applications ...“My grandfather was a pilot and his experiences introduced me to the aerospace industry. After attending Space Camp Canada in Laval, Que., in junior high, I became very excited about space and eventually decided to pursue a career in this industry.”

Since graduating from university in 2011, Hamilton has been employed in a mechanical engineering role at Magellan Aerospace in Winnipeg. In her current role, she is involved with the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) satellites.

“RCM is a constellation of satellites that are being designed and manufactured for the Canadian Space Agency,” Hamilton says. “The satellites will be used for maritime surveillance, disaster management and ecosystem monitoring.

“My favourite part about my job is getting to make a contribution to exciting space programs.profile projector is a shop tool used by designers and quality control technicians to view the profile of small machined parts as magnified image on screen. I have also been able to work on space development programs, where I have been able to work with a team to explore new ideas to improve existing space technologies.”

Fellow Magellan aerospace engineer Brent Parker also felt destined to join the industry. “This industry has a large impact on our society and I wanted to play a small part in that,Titanium Pipe is made by cold rolling process from extruded pipe blanks. They are widely used in heat exchangers and off-shore equipment.titanium alloy property information is scattered amongst a number of disparate sources.” he says. “This is an industry that will continue to grow and evolve well into the future. The 21st century will be an exciting time for space.”

It is also work that will become even more crucial in the future, says Barbara Bowen, manager of special programs at Manitoba Aerospace.

“Aerospace engineering will become more and more necessary as our need for air transportation and our desire for ever-expanding space exploration continues to grow,” Bowen says. “We will continue to rely on aerospace engineers to design and develop advanced technologies and new aircraft and spacecraft to meet those needs.”

The job demands people be willing to take on extraordinarily challenging technical problems, says Stephen Yue, a professor at the McGill Institute for Aerospace Engineering. “[These] need to be solved with deep science, intellectual curiosity and creativity,” he says. “Being mobile and having a world view are also essential.”

Bowen says the most successful people in the field have much more than high-level technical knowledge and strong communication skills. They have a genuine passion for the job. “Engineers who are excited about the aerospace industry and the technology and products it produces are often a major driving force behind aerospace innovation and successful aerospace projects and missions.White soft Floor polishing pad for 15 inch machines. Ideal for high gloss dry polishing buffing of polished sealed floors.”