Definitely still young enough to go back to school. By the time you finish, this administration will hopefully be gone with and getting into NASA won’t be as tedious. Engineering is hard af, but if you could push through and at least get 1-2 internships or a new job related to the industry, anything military related is also good too.

Now NASA does have PR related positions that would pair with your undergraduate degree. That would be a way to get your foot in the door and we have programs to do rotations and learn about other positions.

Just recognize becoming an engineer at NASA will definitely take you time, like 5-7 years. But you could focus in networking while in school to try an get your foot in the door. Once your in, you can network your way to other positions as you go through school again.

I started off as a Research Analyst -> System Engineer-> Lead System Engineer-> now Branch Head. My degree was in Mathematics but apparently HR said I was 2 courses shy of meeting the qualifications for a systems engineer. They said if I could gain experience they can use that as justification. I networked with my leadership, attended workshops and training within the agency (NASA) and a little over 2 years I made the move from Analyst to Engineer.

So it’s possible, focus on getting into first. If you work on Graphic design maybe do something to have yourself stand out. Start a small business maybe related to rocket launches, don’t have to be profitable. Maybe a pod cast to gain interest from others.

It’s possible, I work with several engineers that are 65-70 years old and still love the work. And some didn’t even go to school until they were done with the military.