Aerospace engineering began as the study of flight, but has expanded to include space flight and propulsion in addition to aircraft design and aerodynamics of a variety of structures. Aerospace engineering can be considered a subset of mechanical engineering, but has expanded and grown it its own directions allowing it to be considered a major branch of the engineering profession.
Aerospace engineering covers everything from the design of small aircraft to large spacecraft, and many structures in between.
Aerospace Engineering Education
In many colleges and universities, aerospace engineering is a division within the mechanical engineering department.
Students enrolled in an aerospace engineering degree program will begin with a solid base in calculus and physics, move into advanced mechanical topics such as thermodynamics, heat transfer, aerodynamics and fluid mechanics, and depending on the desired specialty within aerospace engineering, move on to courses in propulsion, orbital mechanics, dynamics and control, and system design.
Branches of Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering can be generally separated into two branches: aeronautics – the study of atmospheric-based structures and systems, and astronautics – the study of spacecraft structures and systems. These two branches do have many areas of overlap, and there are many subsets that include one or both of these branches, including:
- Aerospace Design and Structures - General design of aircraft and spacecraft structures
- Aerospace Theory - Studies of aerodynamics, thermodynamics, and other physical properties involved in aerospace structures
- Aircraft Systems - Interior systems for aircraft including control systems, wiring, and navigation systems
- Information Systems for Aerospace Systems - Computer and network systems for the control of and communication with aircraft and spacecraft.
- Propulsion System Design - The design of air-breathing engines for atmospheric craft or rocket systems for spacecraft.
- Spacecraft System Design - Design and development of satellites,
- Missile System Design - Design of short, medium, or long range missiles, including air-to-air missiles, ground-to-air missiles, up to inter-continental ballistic missiles
Aerospace Engineering Professional Societies
The primary professional society for aerospace engineers is the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). According to the AIAA website, “With more than 31,000 members, AIAA is the world’s largest professional society devoted to the progress of engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense.”
Specialty societies exist for engineers who focus on certain areas within the profession, such as the Society of Flight Test Engineers, Satellite Industry Association (SIA), Sigma Gamma Tau, the honor society for aerospace engineering, and the Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society of the IEEE.
Sources
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Aeronautical Engineering division website
AIAA website
Career Cornerstone website
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