Tech school - then tech college for me. I guess those things still exist? Maybe local community college?

Slightly different path than yours but I worked my way through school as a very indifferent student. I knew I liked technical endeavors so I just kept taking "lab tech" and "production tech" jobs. The more I worked, the more I saw how important the learning was, and the more motivated I became to learn what college could teach me. The more I learned, the better my job opportunities became.

If being involved in space exploration in a technical way is where your interests lie - I would recommend getting into it at whatever level you can, and develop from there.

Worked for me.

NOTE: I am now an old retired guy so my experience may not transfer anymore.

Very nice! Can you share a little about your equipment and techniques used?

EDIT: Sorry - I should have read farther down in the comments.