Space exploration is one of the most fascinating of human pursuits. Since we’ve been able to look up to the sky, we’ve wanted to know what was up there and one day go ourselves. Even the wide variety of microscopes you might find in chemistry doesn’t bring with the the same level of excitement and wonder as the thought of discovering new things in the vastness of the universe. That’s one of the reasons why there are so many incredible jobs in space exploration today. Here are the five most exciting ones.

Astronaut
This is obviously the most exciting career you could possibly have in the field of space exploration. Very few people will have a chance to be one, but for the ultimate experience in being both scientist and daredevil, there is nothing like being the person who actually travels into space in order to perform experiments and lay the ground work for the rest of us to one day join them. No list of exciting space careers would be complete without this entry.

Planetary Mission Research Scientist
We spent incredible amounts of time and money in order to put a nuclear powered mobile laboratory on Mars. Who is going to create meaning out of the data it sends back to us? Planetary mission research scientists! These are people who’s jobs it is to take the information we gather from other planetary bodies and learn what we can about the surface, atmosphere, and potential to one day be visited.

Hardware Engineer
Nobody could go anywhere without somebody capable of making the vehicles and devices that can actually travel in space, let alone through atmospheres. Hardware engineers make space exploration much easier, and in some cases actually possible.

Astrophysicist
Not every job in space exploration actually requires going there. Astrophysicists gather data in a variety of ways and apply what we know about the physical laws of the universe to tell us what’s actually up there. They figure out how the universe interacts with itself.

Astronomer
Unlike an astrophysicist, an astronomer is not just focused on how the cosmos work, they also want to know more of what is actually out there. They are always on the lookout for new stars, trying to discover what orbits them, how large they are, where they’re going to be, and a whole lot more.

There are so many different careers that you can pursue in space exploration, but no matter what you do, know that you will be a part of the greatest adventure the human race has ever embarked on.