From the Corps to the Cosmos, featuring Jaden Caradine

Jaden Caradine has always known he wanted to be an engineer, but his path to that career took many twists and turns before he arrived at NASA's Langley Research Center. Growing up in Salt Lake City, Jaden was drawn to science and engineering from a young age, as evidenced by his early fascination with building Legos. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served as a mechanic for five years, including a stint in Japan.

During this time, Jaden started reading about decision-making, career planning, and long-term thinking, and discovered the concept of ikigai - the intersection of his skills, interests, the world's needs, and his potential earnings.

After leaving the Marine Corps, Jaden enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study aerospace engineering. He quickly became involved in the field, attending conferences, events, and gatherings related to satellite technology. Eventually, he found a niche within aerospace engineering focused on in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) - the creation and maintenance of infrastructure in space rather than just launching and discarding satellites.

Jaden joined NASA's Langley Research Center as a Pathways intern, working with the ISAM team. His role involved curating the ISAM State of Play document, which consolidates the latest information about ISAM efforts across government, academia, and industry. At NASA, Jaden is able to apply his engineering skills while also working towards the common goal of removing barriers that would otherwise limit industry's ability to innovate.