Fancy a space career? Go after Bram Verbruggen!
Describe a typical day at your job.
I arrive every day by bike at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne. Then I first check my messages, which as a researcher is quite easy, and then I usually go to the lab. There I then do research for technologies we need for moon landings in the near future. In the process, I am also co-responsible for the lab itself.
What is the coolest part of your job?
Getting in touch with the astronauts and working on things that will end up on the moon.
Are there aspects of your job that you don’t like so much?
| The distance with friends and family is something you really have to get used to. |
How did you get into this job?
| Through BELSPO, every year there are national trainee selections in the summer. |
What non – technical skills do you need in your profession? How have you been able to develop these?
Not really skills but general maturity and openness to international communities are a plus.
What orientation did you take at school? Did it influence your later career?
First industrial sciences in secondary school and then Master in Industrial Engineering (electromechanics), Master in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) and Manama in Space Studies. All at KU Leuven.
What is the most valuable moment in your career so far?
My talk at the Nerdland festival was definitely a highlight but since I am working on new technologies for the moon, the moon landing that includes that technology will still be a very exciting day.
What do you think will be the biggest challenges or changes in your field of work in the next 10 years? Do you have any advice on how you would tackle them?
How do we adequately protect against radiation from the sun and the cosmos. Many people are working on this but unless we find a permanent solution, a long-term presence on the moon will be impossible.
What is your dream job?
The one I have now, but closer to friends and family.