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It's a long way from the suburbs of Adelaide,eroticism of the 70s Australia to mission control, but according to Andrea Boyd, it was as simple as scouring Europe's version of Seek.com.

Boyd now lives in Cologne, Germany working with the European Space Agency (ESA) and is the only Australian working as a flight controller for the International Space Station (ISS).

SEE ALSO: SpaceX explosion is causing some to question Elon Musk's ambitious plans

In Sydney to promote the new film Barbie: Starlight Adventure, in which Barbie travels space to save the stars, Boyd wants to spread the message that any young Australian can follow in her footsteps. Hell, even Barbie's going to space now.

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Ever since she was five-years-old, Boyd was fascinated by the stars and exploration. "In primary school, the Space Station started being built, so I saw that in the news and I thought, 'I definitely want to work in mission control,'" she told Mashable.

After studying mechatronic engineering at Adelaide University and working in mine engineering in the Outback, she entered the space industry in 2011 -- at 27 years old. Now 32, she is the only person at the ESA's European Astronaut Centre that can speak directly with the astronauts stationed on the ISS.

"There's only one person in each mission control that can talk back to space, so that's me," she said.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It's an important role, and one that involves gaining the trust of the astronauts. "We start off with the formal 'Houston' and 'Moscow,' but then we go to first names. It's nice for them to know who they're talking to," she said.

Typically, Boyd's day begins at 6 a.m. prior to the first space-to-ground call with the astronauts and the global mission controls at 7.30 a.m. Throughout the day, she might assist them with live science experiments or managing payloads.

Each day is highly organised for the astronauts, including Saturday. "Instead of science the whole day, it's like a share house," she explained. "[They] split up the cleaning and the systems maintenance. Sunday they have a proper day off, including a one hour call with their families."

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Despite having spent almost five years in the industry, Boyd said it's still a thrill to go to work each day. "It changes all the time: You have a different set of astronauts every three months, totally different experiments every six months. It's constantly changing," she said. "You can never get bored."

Not to mention, there's the view: "You get to look at the Earth from space on the giant screen all the time. I get to see at least eight sunsets and sunrises every shift around the Earth," she said.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

How to make it to mission control

For students interested in working in mission control or in space industries, Boyd said studying almost any type of science or engineering could do, as long as you're passionate.

"I was a girl with very average scores from the suburbs. It's more about having the dream to do it, and then doing the training and the extra stuff on the side," she said.

Boyd recommended seeking a broad range of experiences throughout school and university. It's not just academics, she suggested, but also sport and science activities involving teamwork. That's important because at mission control, at no point are you working alone -- you're always going to be working as a team and relying on others.

"In mission control, they really value life experience more than academics," she said. "That's why they won't take people until a little later, usually. You're more calm and more adaptable and more level headed."

While there are opportunities for Australians to work in the public and private space industries, actually leaving the Earth is another question. Australia currently has no space agency and thus no astronauts program, Boyd pointed out.

While some Australians have become American citizens to chase their dream, such as Andy Thomas who was Australia's first astronaut, she emphasised that a mission control job like her own is not out of reach, even with an Australian passport.

Study up, go to space camp and then keep an eye on the jobs board. After making your way through hours of training and simulations, you too could be beaming your voice into space.

The ISS is set to shut down in around eight years, and Boyd said she'd like to be there till the end.

"I love it, it changes every six months completely, so I'd like to enjoy it for another few years," she explained. "I'd be keen to work on moon missions -- that would be a big dream after this."