Worked there for a few years as a pathways intern. Overall it was a good experience, but I think a lot of people find out that government work isn't for them quickly.You'll know soon -- you either come to love the laid back, cushy lifestyle or you'll grow to hate it. Nobody really seemed that challenged. On one hand that's good, low stress. But on the other it creates an environment of complacency and boredom. This seemed to attribute to the fact that many of the people I worked with had been sitting at GS-13 for years on end. They either didn't want to apply to GS-14/15 jobs or management didn't bother to develop their skills. The govt is moving away from lifetime civil servant jobs (which is good) but in doing so it makes them a much less attractive employer. If I'm losing the job security I'd rather go make $20k more at Big Defense Inc. down the street.

Pros

Great managers, cool place to say you work, good mission

Cons

20-30% pay cut vs. private sector, direction is aimless at times, environment is stifling at times, Houston is...Houston.

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Great company

Internship (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - March 24, 2020

What stands out from working for NASA is the experience and knowledge you will get to know, alongside the amazing facts about the program. The leaders are amazing and wonderful to learn from and would definitely do again.

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NASA insights

Based on 388 survey responses

What people like

Feeling of personal appreciation
Time and location flexibility
Ability to learn new things

Amazing Experience

Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - March 1, 2020

The culture is open and supportive. Everyone is happy to explain things to you or tell you what they are working on. Amazing opportunities to meet inspiring people and learn from them.

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Great place to work.

Pathways Intern (Current Employee) - Houston, TX - October 29, 2019

The pathways program is great, I had the opportunity to switch between branches to find what I wanted to work on. I got to touch a lot of cool projects!

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Amazing opportunity that anyone should strive for.

Johnson Space Center Internship (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - October 16, 2019

A once in a lifetime opportunity that can never be replaced. Everybody at NASA is passionate about moving the human race forward to a brighter future. I was part of the International Space Stations Communication Team. Specifically I was a video editing / graphic design intern. My days consisted of a positive and constructive environment full of helpful and productive individuals.

Pros

Amazing opportunites such as Professional Portraits, Exclusive Tours, and lectures/presentations from some of the smartest minds on the planet

Cons

None

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JSC is manned space flight

Pathways Technical Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - September 15, 2019

Johnson Space Center is an amazing place to work. Every employee (civil servants and contractors) are committed to advancing manned space flight and the development of technology to support it. The campus is gorgeous and is fantastic for walking around to refocus on a project, or just watch the wildlife. The people there are warm and supportive, and there is a healthy interactive work culture. The site hosts regular events to allow people to come together and mingle with those they might not see regularly on a professional basis.

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NASA choose your job wisely

Internship Program (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - May 13, 2019

Good benefits, HR are looking for a good fit but the only problem is its family-oriented culture meaning there have been generations of family members there and if your not part of the family one really does not fit in and will be greeted with fake smiles and love.

Pros

Good work life balance depending on the job, fastest advancement in the government.

Cons

Portrayed as nice for the public, nasty attitude environment behind closed doors.

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Hard working environment with sense of adventure

ARES Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - January 13, 2019

Working as a NASA intern was an exceptional experience. Each day began with a check-in with supervisor, followed by self-directed morning, and then included at least one quality one-on-one with a supervisor each day to ensure all necessary resources were made available to me. I learned how to operate proprietary and public software to perform scientific visualization analysis and develop science images from Mars satellite photography and Earth orbit satellite photography. The internship included guiding me through co-authoring a literary abstract that was published at a scientific conference, which I attended and where I showed my work in the poster session. Daily work ambiance at NASA was impressive. With so many people there working on miracle-making projects, there was always a sense of adventure, and other young staff and interns were perpetually happy with their jobs. The most challenging aspect of the experience was making new discoveries that are so bleeding edge that there simply isn't reference material out there to rely on for help. Much of the science is being invented in real-time. Problem solving is happening at the forefront of humankind's most advanced technology. We were working with answers to questions we didn't even know we were asking, and solving problems so new that many had never even been imagined by science fiction writers. And all of this is also the most enjoyable part of the job. Living on the very edge of discovery and working at the bleeding edge of that is a career experience unlike any other in the world.

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Attentive and supportive managers who helped you be your best

Jacobs-JETS Remote-Intern (Current Employee) - Houston, TX - October 13, 2018

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working for NASA. I grew and learned a lot. My managers were very invested in my future, and were always available for me.

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Great place to learn for new engineering students.

Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - September 24, 2018

As an intern I worked in several areas at JSC. It is a great environment for those interested in engineering. I was able to work in areas that planned for space shuttle launches and supported active missions. I was also able to work in the machine shop. This allowed me as an engineering student to see how designs are actually made and the difficulties that can arise from production of a design.

Pros

Great learning environment.

Cons

Space exploration and associated jobs always seem in flux.

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NASA High school internship

Week long internship (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - August 9, 2018

A very welcoming environment, and very diverse. There was no pay since we were all high school juniors from all around the state of Texas at the time.

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Good place to work

Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - August 7, 2018

Lots of technical challenges. The scope of the work that I did was very niche, and the management was top tier. Was given a lot of time to explore different areas within NASA

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internship in college

Engineering Advisor Internship (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - April 30, 2018

Very knowledgeable people (obviously). But, quite a bit of meetings. One of the interesting sayings that I heard was "we make something so exciting as going into space so boring"

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Great Internship

Aerospace Scholar Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - March 15, 2018

NASA offers a great internship program for young scholars who want to work in the STEM field. Mentors and students come together to form a collaborative and educational environment.

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Fun and educational experience at the Johnson Space Center

Aerospace Scholars Internship Program (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - December 16, 2017

Was on a strict schedule of facility tour, meetings with engineers and administrators at JSC. Participated in a multi-team robotics competition. Was not able to come to Mission Control as promised.

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NASA Aerospace Scholars Program

Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - November 23, 2017

This was a good program and allowed me the ability to get to know many other students who are interested in space and space technology, plus you will be working hand in hand with NASA scientists and engineers.

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Internship experience at NASA

Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - September 15, 2017

I had a fantastic experience during my internship at NASA Johnson Space Center. It is a great place to make connections in the aerospace industry and they offer career paths for just about any career imaginable.

Pros

Great work environment, friendly culture, skilled management.

Cons

Nothing.

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I had a great time during my internship at NASA

Internship (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - July 10, 2017

Albeit a short internship, it was one of the best times I've had working there. I got to learn alot of things from my employers and they were all very helpful to teach me new techniques.

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Internship

Internship (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - June 20, 2017

Excellent experience, went every Friday for about 3 hours and getting the badge for the security was a breeze as long as your mentor has given approval and accompanies you.

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A wonderful place to work

Attitude and Pointing Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - December 21, 2014

I did my first co-op tour there. Gained a lot of new software skills and learned to work our of my technical comfort zone. Also got to experience live missions at the Mission Control Center! Truly an awesome place to work at!

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innovative and challenging environment with amazing opportunities!

Aerothermodynamics Intern (Former Employee) - Houston, TX - December 21, 2014

I did two co-op tours there; first in the Mission Operations Directorate, and the second in the applied aeroscience branch within the engineering directorate. It was one of most friendliest and relaxed environments to work at. The opportunities are tremendous and a lot of freedom to take on multiple challenging projects. NASA also has great opportunities for higher education, and learning in general.

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More reviews from Houston, TX

Terrible management in Procurement; big turnover in 1 year 63 people quit

Contracts(Former Employee) - Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX - February 22, 2022

A typical day starts at 8:00 am and ends around 8:30/9:00. No overtime pay. Management will be rude and when you go to higher officials, they will take up for them even though multiple people will complain. Workplace culture is stabbing people in the back and telling them you are let go because you asked too many questions and then they will have a meeting to tell you to ask questions because that is the way we learn. The hardest part of the job is putting up with management lying to higher officials.

Good Compensation, Good work environment, and a Big Learning Curve.

Software Intern(Current Employee) - Houston, TX - February 13, 2022

Working here as an intern for ~2 years while doing my Bachelors. Working for NASA as a contractor, through LZ Tech. My compensation is on an hourly basis, and is good. Other contractors may not provide as good compensation for interns. There is a big learning curve, but once overcome, job will be much smoother. Time management and prioritization of tasks is important. Communication and team work is mandatory to survive. My management has been very respectful. I work with a team of co-interns. They have been fun and very smooth to work with over the semesters.

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