On Sunday, December 29, 2013 10:47:40 PM UTC-5, John B. wrote:

Just a thought. Is sitting at a computer really "metal working" or is
"metal working" getting your hands dirty and actually doing it?

I suspect the later. The bloke that wrote the software that controls
the Mars explorer thingy doesn't claim to be a space explorer.
--
Cheers,
John B.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. The people who work "behind the scenes" at NASA and JPL are very proud of their work and consider themselves very much part of the "front line."