Ever since our son was little, he has said that he wanted to be an astronaut.
He always wanted his room decorated in spaceships and we even had the solar system painted on his ceiling.
Once he was in school, he kept this dream alive by applying to space camp in the summer and studying anything and everything about space travel. Now that he is college he is studying to become an Aerospace Engineer. Although he would still rather go into space, he realizes that designing the equipment and things like space shuttles is just as interesting. He also has a better chance of getting a job in this field. He told us he was surprised about how complex the HVAC system needed to be on these vehicles. But, when he thought about it, this system was responsible for not only maintaining temperature, but ensuring that the occupants had fresh air to breath. It’s not like they can open a window or step outside in space. The HVAC system on a spacecraft must recirculate the air, introduce the needed oxygen, remove unwanted gases like carbon dioxide, and control humidity levels. This is a really important part of the design on a whole. We are extremely proud of how dedicated our son is to this field of study. He always stuck to it but also realized that he needed a career that would pay well and have more openings than that of an actual astronaut. As an added benefit, he has a better appreciation for how much of a role HVAC systems play in our daily lives.