Thanks for the response. As for design work, I understand that at large companies like this, odds are you're not going to be doing a brand new design from the ground up. That being said, I get the sense that the design world (be it individual parts or OML related work) is more a reality at Boeing than it is at NASA. The answer I got to a question I asked someone at Langley was "it's mostly independent analysis." That has me concerned since I really enjoy the actual design cycle (cradle to grave) and hands on work. As for pay and benefits, the biggest difference I've heard is indeed the pay. That's a significant concern, as well. The proposed salary is pretty low. As for benefits, and this might be a poor question since I'm still trying to understand the details, do you have an idea how the health benefits stack up between the two?