Career Profile: From NASA Engineer to Aerospace Consultant: Navigating Unexpected Trajectories

The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy has compiled dozens of interviews highlighting the diversity of career trajectories available to astronomers, planetary scientists, etc. The interviews share advice and lessons learned from individuals on those paths.

Below is our interview with Dr. Jill Seubert, a spacecraft navigation engineer who focuses on deep space mission design and navigation. She is based in Sydney, Australia, where she founded Australis Space Navigation. She earned her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

What were the most important factors that led you to leave astronomy and/or academia?

I had a strong desire to work on NASA Mars missions. Acknowledging my strengths and weaknesses, I felt that I would be most impactful and professionally fulfilled if I applied cutting-edge space research to real life applications.  While I enjoyed performing research at the first principles level, what really fascinated me was the gap that exists between the optimal analytic solution and the reality of the universe, and the implications of those differences.  For example, in spacecraft navigation the spacecraft may be following the optimal trajectory, but an unexpected solar flare might perturb the trajectory in unmodeled ways.  It’s my job to appropriately quantify the uncertainty around that analytic trajectory to capture all the unknown unknowns.

If you have made a career change, what was your age at the time?

I haven’t made a career change, but I did make a major employer change at age 38.  I left NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and began consulting. 

What has been your career path since you completed your degree?

Following my Ph.D., I immediately went to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. I spent 10 years there working as a deep space navigator, responsible for planning, determining and maintaining spacecraft trajectories so the spacecraft can safely arrive at its intended target. I’ve supported numerous Mars missions, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, InSight Mars Lander, and the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.  I also served as the Deputy Principal Investigator for the Deep Space Atomic Clock Technology Demonstration Mission, which advanced space clock technology such that it may be used for spacecraft navigation in the future.  Following my departure from JPL, I founded Australis Space Navigation to allow me to continue working on deep space navigation from my new home in
Australia.

What have been particularly valuable skills for your current job that you gained through completing your degree?

The most valuable skill that I gained through my graduate studies extends far beyond my studies: effective communication and being comfortable presenting my work. Communication is often undervalued as a “soft skill”, but I've found it to be my superpower that has undoubtedly played a large part in my professional success. It doesn't matter how good your work is if you cannot tell people about it, and tell them why it matters.  The good news is that anyone can learn how to make communication their own personal superpower.

What is your level of satisfaction with your current job?

For better or worse, I am one of those people who really love their jobs. I thoroughly enjoy the technical work, the people I work with, and applying my expertise to real-life space missions. I particularly delight in the nature of spacecraft navigation as it requires me to delve into systems design, analytics models, software design and development, data processing, astrophysics and science.  I find it's impossible to grow bored when there's always more to learn.

What are the most enjoyable aspects of your job?

One might expect rocket launches and Mars landings to be my favourite, and those events do rank high on my list. But, hands down the best part of my job is working through challenging technical issues with my talented colleagues.  No matter how frustrating it may be in the moment, it's just so rewarding when you work together to design and implement a solution (and it actually works)!

What advice do you have for achieving work-life balance (including having a family)?

It's taken me two kids and moving from full time to part time, but I finally have a healthy work-life balance.  My advice is to be realistic and acknowledge that you cannot do everything everywhere all at once. For every commitment, something else has to give. There are times when I'm focusing on my career but my family life is a bit lacking; I counterbalance this with times when I deliberately focus on my family and don't push so hard at work.  Sometimes I get to consciously choose which to focus on, but oftentimes life makes that choice for me.  The important thing is being cognizant of that balance. I always know the balance is perfect when I feel rewarded in both life and work.

What do you do for fun (e.g., hobbies, pastimes, etc.)?

I try to make time for both music and exercise.  My job can be quite stressful, and I find that making music through playing the piano and singing with a community women’s choir provides a venue to focus entirely on something unrelated to my work.  Conversely, going for a long run allows me to focus on nothing more than putting one foot in front of the other.   Regular practice of both keeps me mentally balanced  and more productive at work.  I also practice yoga to clear my mind, which gives me greater mental clarity in my work.