Hi. Thanks for the A2A. I’ll start off by listing my credentials.

I’ll be graduating this semester with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a specialization in space flight from a top ten university in the United States. I’ve done a number of government internships that directly resulted in full time job offers. I have quite a few colleagues and classmates that took separate paths than I have and ended up in the same place.

The following steps that I took will give you the best chance to become a successful aerospace engineer specifically in the U.S. (while a few of these will be above and beyond, this was my path).

In high school or earlier:

1. Grades matter; do well and work hard. I was lucky enough to be naturally gifted at academics and didn’t put much effort into getting a perfect GPA. However, hardwork beats talent when talent slacks off.
2. More than number (1), expand your horizons with extra-curriculars. Look into what inspires you, and have fun doing what you love. Don’t be afraid to have unscientific hobbies. I did two varsity sports and semi-professional art and it was an excellent balance. This makes you well-rounded and a good creative thinker.
3. Try to build some STEM experience outside of class. If you want to be an aerospace engineer, you’ll want to make sure that you like math and physics. Try robotics clubs, science fairs, the whole nine-yards. I adored science fair, and going to the International Science and Engineering Fair for my senior project in nozzle optimization was a huge factor in getting my pick of colleges later on. However, just going out of your way to self-study the science or taking AP classes is a huge step.
4. Think about college. The best degrees for an engineer working on spacecraft are aerospace/(aeronautics), electrical, and mechanical bachelor’s degrees. The degree you pick can be thought of as a specialty. While plenty of people get on the job training or eventual jump between subsystems, electrical/computer engineers get a lot of power systems and flight software while mechanical engineers get a lot of structures work. Aerospace engineering melds a little of everything, systems engineering, propulsion, fluid dynamics, mechanics, etc. Make sure the schools that you apply to are accredited institutions. This means that they meet the national standard on curriculum. A lot of government jobs and contracts have the accreditation as a requirement prior to hiring.
5. Learn to code. This is a bonus, as I learned in college. However, so much is done with computers that any experience you have gives you a massive leg up on the competition.

At university:

1. Join engineering student organizations. You’d think getting the classwork and degree would be the major goal, but at my university the resources made available to us were much more important. Hands-on experience is pretty hard to get in class, even at a top school. Getting a good job is much easier if you can talk about building a drone, or integrating an autopilot into a fixed-wing. Is there a club that launches model rockets? Get on that. Recruiters will be impressed if you have a project to talk about, especially if you try your hand at leadership.
2. Grades matter but not as much as experience. Again, if you can keep your GPA above a 3.0 (aim for above a 3.5) and have project experience outside of class, getting into industry is a cakewalk. I was given a good brain at birth so I can balance both without struggle - but if you have to sacrifice some of the grades for the hands-on work, do it.
3. Get good at programming. The most popular languages in aerospace engineering to code in are MATLAB, Python, and C/C++. MATLAB is probably the one you’ll get the most experience in while doing class projects, but being able to teach yourself a language will be invaluable.
4. If you can, do research. Asking to work with a professor and getting some original work done is an excellent way to build your scientific resume as well as all your trouble-shooting skills. If you want to go to graduate school, this is also highly recommended. I worked with two professors as an undergraduate and did an honors thesis at the end of the road that synthesized a lot of prior work. It helped me grow as an engineer and as a scientist and paved my way to grad school. (Also, bonus if you can get a paying gig.)
5. Apply to internships every summer. Yes, every summer. I made the mistake of not looking during my freshman year. I thought that I didn’t have many useful skills yet, so I ended up acting as a tour guide at one of the NASA centers to improve my public speaking skills instead. What I didn’t realize is how many companies and organizations have spots for freshman. If I had applied, I would have found one. Every year following that, I did really awesome work at government facilities. Once you get your foot in the door of a company, you may find it’s a pipeline to a full-time position. Some top aerospace organizations that are really competitive are NASA Pathways (a co-op deal), SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Aerospace Corporation, NASA JPL, and tons of smaller contracting companies. Find something, even if it’s a local company. The first internship is the hardest, and you’re a great candidate afterwards.
6. Think about grad school. This is not required for most entry level positions, but depending on where you want to end up in the hierarchy you might find that research is your calling. If you want to enter on the job with more responsibility, a two-years M.S. program is worth it.
7. Start looking for jobs early. This goes hand in hand with the internship deal, but go to career expos. If you’re at a big school like I am, tons of aero-companies set up booths to recruit. There is usually also a job-seeking service on campus that hooks you up with companies for interviews. Don’t be daunted by failures.

A lot of people I know have done some kind of variation of the steps above. That’s okay. Not everyone gets to the same place the same way. However, knowing that you want to be an aerospace engineer is a huge step. Having goals makes achieving them much easier than drifting without purpose. Also, it’s surprisingly rare to see people actually go for what they want. If you’re out there and persistent, you have a ton of the competition beat.

Hopefully this helped out a few of my prospective colleagues. No matter if the road gets tough, keep looking up. :)

Have a great day.

Like most professions you will use less than 10% of what you have to learn to be qualified to enter the profession.

1) not all aerospace engineers are equal

Their is a hierarchy in the team:

• 100 drafters (non-engineers), this varies widely, some companies do not have this level
• 600 designers (engineers)
• 400 stress engineers
• 10 specialty analysis people in varying roles
• Acoustics
• Heat transfer
• CFD
• Aerodynamics
• Loads
• Dimensional analysis

Then there are the managers, that hierarchy is rather obvious.

A few senior design people and stress people will get respect and have influence but the specialty analysis team has the best life. Very few have the information to argue with them and fewer still will risk upsetting them. The product has to perform, these are the people who ensure it does. They don’t like your beam, latch, ect. that you worked half a year on… start over.

2) don’t expect diversity

Aerospace is not full of anti-diverse people… however the feeder system (high schools and colleges) doesn’t supply many for the companies to hire. They are hiring more as more become qualified. Because of the low supply expect some caution if you are a minority as the government audits the companies (employees know this) so they may assume you got in on weaker credentials. This isn’t being mean it is basic economics of supply and demand. However, that proof of capability is not so hard… it is a metric driven group… hit your numbers and you are in. I found one company very diverse (Goodrich) and it was a real strategic competitive advantage.

3) top salaries

Expect to be hired in at the high 50’s to low 60’s. Your value will grow about 15 K the first two years, your company can’t compensate you fast enough. You can choose to stay and they will catch you up, but many change jobs at the 2-3 year mark. Salaries top out at $160’s, but most struggle to break $100K. The one group that is full of associate and full technical fellows and $100K plus salaries is… the speciality analysis group… see hierarchy.

4) the work
While programs can be high pressure most I know find it a bit monotonous. Like most jobs… you will have a zone and after a while know it well… and as such it is not so exciting. There is some R&D but is moves very slow. Another post brought out the risk aversion and safety focus… this means slow product changes.

5) be nice
Aerospace can be sort of curmudgeonly. Don’t do this or that. Often not said very nice because the person has said it 100 times a year for the last 10 years… and will say it 100 times more to keep anyone from being hurt. Try to learn from those who are protecting the product. Really try to learn from those who try to protect the product and are nice about it. Sometimes people are really busy or tired but “that’s just stupid” from an ATF will shut you down… “let’s talk about how your idea fits into the big picture” is the same shut down but also an opportunity for you to learn what the next level knows.

6) job security and risk

In addition to hitting my metrics I tried to be nice, sometimes I failed, but rumor has it I did ok. I have been in specialty analysis (aerodynamics), managed specialty analysis, and also worked at a program level. It has been a great ride but a lot of jobs. Aerospace is cyclical and as programs get smaller and faster there is more competition for the jobs. So far I have never been out of work more than 2 months but I keep wondering if my luck will run out… I get promoted to a high risk job (no more direct employees) at a company cutting cost like mad in January… maybe Quora will hire me to answer aerospace questions :)

Update: I was unemployed for 24 months after being placed in a high risk job and forced out... so hopefully that is my worst time of unemployment until I retire.

1) This does not necessarily mean breaking the sound barrier.

You must have seen a picture / video similar to this.

If people are asked to describe it, majority of them would say that the jet is breaking the sound barrier. However, it may be not the case every time. This is called a vapour cone. It happens when a jet flies close to the speed of sound (not necessarily at or greater than the speed of sound). The white smoke is condensed water vapour. The region is in a low pressure state, and air holds very little vapour at lower pressure. Hence, as the water vapour content is greater than the saturation point, it begins to condense and form this distinct cone shape. It doesn't always signify breaking the sound barrier.

2) The glowing hot temperature achieved during re-entry is not due to air friction.

When a body enters the atmosphere at high speed, a shock wave is formed in front of it. Shock waves can be imagined as extremely thin high pressure regions, in front of the vehicle as seen below.

When air moves past this shock wave, there is an increase in temperature. This high temperature dissociates the air downstream, stripping them of their electrons and turning them into plasma with a characteristic glow. The heating predominantly happens because of this compression of air, however, there is also friction. Only when the aircraft reaches the denser part of the atmosphere and at a lower speed will it experience predominant heating due to viscous effects and friction.

3) Re-entry vehicles are blunt shaped for a reason

Common sense tells us that it will be easier for a vehicle to flow through fluids if it has a sharp nose. However, all re-entry vehicles are blunt nosed.
Now, at the beginning of re-entry, the vehicle a has large amount of kinetic and potential energy. However, once it’s reached the ground, it won’t have any potential or kinetic energy. This energy is dissipated in two ways - heating the body and heating the air around the body. Now have a look at the following picture.

A body with a sharp nose has a shock wave very close to it. This majority of the heat goes into the body rather than the air. However, for a blunt body, the shock is 'detached'. Thus the heat is mostly dissipated into the air, leaving the vehicle less affected. Hence, every re-entry vehicle incorporates this design. [Anderson, John D., Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2001]

UPDATE:

4) The dimples on a golf ball will allow it to travel farther.

The drag on any object moving through air is mostly pressure drag or skin friction drag (there are other types of drag too). This so-called drag force will oppose the motion of the object through air. Hence, if one could find means to reduce the drag, the object will move smoothly through the fluid. A golf ball being a bluff body, has predominant pressure drag as explained below.

[Milton Van Dyke, An Album of Fluid Motion, Parabolic Press, 12th edition, 1982]

In the above picture, the flow over a smooth sphere can be seen. We observe a phenomenon called flow separation, where the less energetic fluid detaches from the surface. Thus a very low pressure is formed at the back of the sphere, causing a tremendous pressure drag.

Now, in a golf ball, dimples are introduced. This makes the flow adjacent to the surface of the ball (called the boundary layer) more chaotic. This chaotic boundary layer is called turbulent boundary layer (while the former one is called a laminar boundary layer). This induced transition to the turbulent boundary layer will add energy to the fluid and make it attached to the surface for longer, and hence decreasing the wake on the rear of the golf ball.

[Google Images]

This decrease wake helps the golf ball to travel farther.

To become an aerospace engineer (in the US), you will need two things: a STEM degree and aerospace experience.

1. STEM degree - To get hired by an aerospace company, you’ll need a science, technology, engineering, or math degree from an accredited university. One may think you may need to get an aerospace engineering degree, specifically, but you do not. I’ve worked with engineers, physicists, and mathematicians. But typically I work with aerospace and mechanical engineers. Getting your degree from one of the big name schools (MIT, Stanford, Caltech, etc.) can help, but is not absolutely necessary, your experience is more important.
2. Experience - This is the tough part; you need to have experience to get experience. But there are ways
1. Begin with a university research project (rocketry, airplane, cubesat, formula SAE, bridge, etc.). Stick with aerospace-related projects if possible, but if you can’t get in, then find one you can.
2. Take on a leadership role within that project. It doesn’t have to be a huge sub-project, just find a small task that you can see through the engineering process entirely yourself (design, analysis, manufacture, test).
3. Apply for internships at aerospace companies, both traditional and startups. A lot of them. A LOT OF THEM. Every one is competing for the same internships, so it’s extremely competitive. Focusing on fall or spring internships will make it easier. Use all your resources: networking, online applications, linkedin, career fairs. Don’t worry if the internship isn’t in your preferred technical area, any internship is better than no internship.
3. BONUS ** Specialization - If you gain skills in a specific analysis area, it will help your resume stand out. I typically like to hire “T-shaped” people (or an upside-down bell curve). Expertise in one area, but experience in related areas.

Good luck!

The longer the time you spend in the industry the better you'll truly understand the big picture.

What do I mean by this ?

You'll likely study Aerodynamics, Flight Dynamics, Stress Analysis and other key subject matter areas. You'll then enter the work force or go on to further post grad education where you will specialize but it will be only after 10, 15, 20 or even more years in the industry, having been exposed to many different programs in many different roles and having worked with many other people, who are subject matter experts in their own right, in fields other than yours, do you gain the wide insight into how every design decision may or may not affect other characteristics of an aerospace vehicle.

After 25 years in the industry, I still haven't yet gained that level of insight and I constantly enjoy learning just a little bit more each and every day.

What should you know before you join the ranks ?

(1) - You should be comfortable with exercising the highest level of attention to detail.

(2) - You will have to work to tight schedules without compromising your high level of attention to detail.

(3) - Safety always comes first in the Profession, let no one convince you of otherwise, they won't be by your side defending your actions should your choices, under their instruction, lead to a breech of safety or worse yet, loss of life.

(4) - whenever in doubt, refer to (3) above.

(5) - it will be your duty to nurture the next generation of Aerospace Engineers just as it will be the duty of the current generation to nurture you. Respect them and learn from them as you progress and develop and be prepared to offer your insight to others when the time comes.

Finally, as told to me by my boss when I began my training in the Industry :-

"No information is better than wrong information, so if you don't know, say you don't know, don't ever try to make stuff up"

Words to live by ...

I thought the petroleum industry was cyclic, hiring and firing employees based on the price of oil, but it has nothing on the aerospace industry.
Aerospace companies take years to design a new plane but once it starts flying, all the designers, stress engineers, systems people, etc…. need to either change to a new project (if their company has another one) or they need to be ready to move.
For aerospace, be ready to move between Seattle, Dallas/Fort Worth, Wichita, and other major cities. Yes, there are some people who have stayed with the same company for decades but they are lucky and I believe those days are waning.

Accept that you won’t actually know how to do anything after undergrad. At the end of an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering, you will be directly in the trough of the Dunning-Kruger effect plot.

You will know a little about a lot of aerospace related topics, but it can be overwhelming with how much you realize that you don’t know.

This is a pretty impressive sales funnel for grad school. It worked on me.

But grad school isn’t necessary to succeed in industry. Having the fundamentals from undergrad will give you a great start, especially if you are hungry to learn and have access to hard problems, good resources, or both.

The other comments are all worth reading and cover the disadvantages/limitations of Aerospace Engineering quite well. What they do not tell you is the thrill of pointing to some aircraft flying above you and saying to your child, “See that plane? It's one of mine!”

But in my case, my two youngest kids were born around 20 years or more after my first engineering job in aviation, so many planes had been in my career. Also we lived near airports where many aircraft that I had worked on flew. One day my 9 year old son son looked at me and said, “Dad, please only point out planes you HAVEN'T worked on.” I asked why. “It will be a shorter list.”

When aviation is doing well, as it was during most of my career, jobs are there but your employer may have ups and downs, in which case you become an “Aerospace Gypsy.” I have colleagues who spent 20 years at one company but most of us did 5 years here, 3 there, 5 at the next, and so on. Sometimes you live in one place, other times you move possibly all the way from coast to coast.

If your dream is aviation or space, this is the career you might choose even knowing the problems I and the other commenters presented. But do not pick it because the pay is high (then) or for prestige.

One other advantage though. A well trained Aero can do ALMOST any other form of engineering there is. It is that broad when taught correctly, and it normally is taught in a manner which emphasizes basic principles.

I am very glad I chose Aero, but I have lived both its advantages and it's disadvatages. If you dream of flight vehicles, go for it. If not, think carefully.

If you have not applied and been accepted to a university for Aerospace Engineering yet, here’s some tips:

• Do things to build up the strongest application you can for when you do apply. This might entail the following:
• Taking the toughest STEM coursework you can manage and doing well
• Getting involved in a few extra curriculars you personally enjoy and taking them somewhat seriously
• Work on doing well on the standardized tests, as pointless as those tests can appear.
• Given where you stand academically, have an honest look at what schools you think are good fits for you both socially, financially, and academically. You do not need to go to a top 10 school to have a good aerospace engineering career and you can always go to grad school at a top school if you’re interested.
• Make sure you apply to a diverse set of schools in terms of what you consider to be safeties and reach schools to improve your chances of finding somewhere to go that you’d likely enjoy.
• Take your math and physics classes especially seriously. I also recommend taking an AP Computer Science course. If all you do is learn to do some programming in Java, you will be much better prepared for any algorithm heavy parts of your Aerospace Engineering curriculum.

Now if you have found a university to attend and accepted, here’s some tips:

• Do well in your coursework. Most aerospace companies have GPA requirements, so you gotta make sure you pass their thresholds. The lowest GPA I have seen at top aero companies is a 3.0, though some are as high as 3.5.
• Take math you learn seriously. Honestly, if you can do the math, most of these classes become pretty simple.
• Learn to program pretty well and practice actually solving non-trivial problems with programming. Some great job opportunities are basically dependent on you as an Aerospace Engineer being a decent coder. My work at NASA JPL and my work on missiles in industry were opportunities I got that were dependent on my strong software skills.
• Network at career fairs and try to get internships. A professional network is such a great thing to have. Take this seriously, even after you have graduated.
• Get involved in research and/or clubs you find interesting that help you develop some useful skills or knowledge outside of the classroom. I worked on a lot of robotics stuff, if you want a reference point.

That’s all I got for now as pretty broad tips. Good luck :)

In order to pull everything together, aeronautical engineers require a strong understanding of the scientific principles of flight mechanics, as well as specialized areas such as computational fluid dynamics, combustion and propulsion, aerospace structures and materials, and more.

Aeronautical Engineering is the study that involves researching, designing, developing, constructing, maintenance of the aircrafts and spacecrafts within Earth's atmosphere. It also covers the investigation into aerodynamic elements of aircraft, including behaviors and related factors such as control surfaces, lift, airfoil, and drag.

Aeronautical Engineering Course of 4 years, there are 8 semesters in which students will get theoretical and practical knowledge. It is one of the best undergraduate programs in the field of aviation and has higher career opportunities. Aeronautical Engineering is one of the most dedicated branches of aerospace engineering that includes the atmosphere.

Entrance Exam for Aeronautical Engineering

AME CET 2024 stands for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Common Entrance Test for the students of Aeronautical Engineering in India. As a bridge to the nation's most reputable institutes and universities sanctioned by the AICTE, Government of India. Candidates can get up to 100% scholarship by this examination.

If you got into university with an aerospace degree, you already know enough. Just bring your passion for learning!

If you want extra credit however, here is what I suggest. Buy yourself a drone and learn how to use it really well. Same thing goes with an RC plane. Practical knowledge is extremely valuable! I’d suggest learning Bernoulli’s equation and knowing it inside and out. I know it! I can apply it to everything from whitewater rapids to paragliding and supersonic flight. Once while being trained to be a whitewater rafting guide, I filled 3 chalkboards at lunch calculating the forces one of the raft guides resisted to save a customer from drowning, when the customer got his foot stuck in a rapid. It was something like 650 pounds for 20 minutes… heroic!

You might also look for a mentor. I originally wanted to go into aerospace but switched to energy technologies since I believed (and still believe) that is the world’s most pressing issue. At any rate, I coincidentally met legendary aerospace engineer Ed Heinemann, while working at a restaurant. I asked him a few questions that led to him becoming my mentor for many years. There are probably famous engineers and even aerospace engineers in your community. Look up local professional engineering societies in your area or where you go to university. These connections will help you learn and maybe more importantly lead to an internship and then job! Good luck my friend!!

All we can see is a huge airliner with huge engines and hundreds of passengers flies effortlessly in the sky like a bird. But only aerospace engineers know there is something called "Boundary Layer", a very thin layer of airflow passing over the wing is responsible for generating lift and if it separates from the wing surface then it's a problem for the aircraft. Only aerospace engineers know how important is the role of some tiny plates called the "Vortex Generators" which prevents boundary layer from separating.

A boundary layer is a thin layer of air close to the surface of the wing in contact with the airflow in which (within its thickness) the flow velocity varies from zero at the surface (where the flow “sticks” to the wall because of its viscosity) up to 99% of the free stream velocity.

As long as flow of boundary layer is laminar, is helps generating lift, but once it becomes turbulent, it not only reduces lift but also increases drag. Here we can see how it is maintained laminar and flow separation is delayed by using vortex generators.

Now we all know it

T

I will begin my answer with some points IMPLIED BUT NOT STATED in the question. I do so in rebuttal to some other postings on this thread.

I left a comment on Mr Mohr posting as I feel some of his advice was inaccurate. I almost left one on another answer as well.

First, a GOOD Aero Dept at a GOOD university will cover almost everything the ME Dept requires for a Bachelors, plus A LOT MORE. So those who said an Aero was too specialized have not dealt with very many persons in Aero nor looked at very many catalogs of what each university wants of its students in each discipline.

Second, the intelligent Program Manager may hire a newbie based on which degree he holds. But after that, the decisions are MAINLY independent of discipline. For example, I would want an Aero who had a track record in Stab & Control to be Group Leader for that part of the program. But if he knew an ME or a Math whiz he trusted and wanted them in his group based on REPUTATION, NOT DEGREE, I would support his choice. Your degree discipline gets you in the door; your reputation and ability are what keeps you there and determines raises and promotions. Go to my profile — in the past few weeks, I have discussed this A LOT.

#####/////////#######//////

Now, what knowledge do you need going into Aero? Say from high school.

Lots of math. Yes, you MUST have calculus. But I have seen guys in Calc whose Geometry and Trig were weak. GET THOSE TWO STRONG: AERO IS BUILT ON GEOMETRY AND TRIG.

Basic understanding of BOTH aviation and space is a must. I am talking the level a model airplane addict might have. What you probably get reading the Smithsonian Air & Space magazine for that.

Good background in basic science. What your high school provides plus an AP Course or three…

A lot of curiosity — WHY does this eork?

Those will do for starters. And if that list is too large a mental challenge for you, find a different major.

I am often asked much of this by star-struck kids wanting to be pilots. If you will be satisfied just boring holes in the sky, you do not need an engineering degree. And we need lots of pilots in that category. But the top pilots, whether test pilots or just Chief Pilot of some operation, need a good college education, decent math skills, good basic science understanding, and LOTS OF LOGIC AND CURIOSITY. If you want to be a Test Pilot, pick up an Aero Eng degree. You can get there without it, but it is a lot easier with it, and if you get grounded, you can earn a good living.

Aerospace work is very challenging because we are always having to prove that every part on the plane is safe - but barely. If we make it too strong, it generally means it is too heavy. The plane has to be light enough to get off the ground and to be economical to operate.
You’ll learn all the academic requirements you’ll need from your Aerospace Engineering major at college. What you need to develop is the ability to picture how load flows through a structure by just looking at it. Develop a hobby that will help develop this skill - carpentry, woodworking, handyman jobs, etc…
Concerning your academics: to do the work that I do (structural analysis, stress analysis, fracture mechanics), I wish I had concentrated more on statics & dynamics and the theory of finite element modeling.
Although we have to take an outrageous amount of higher math, I’ve never met an engineer who actually uses calculus on a daily basis.

Well I’m a mechanical engineering major but I want to go to the aerospace industry because of SpaceX. Well on the most basic level, you will need lots of math as it will be used extensively in all your classes. If you don’t have a strong base in math you will not succeed from my experience. If you can, avoid passing any math classes with a C and always take the most challenging professors as I think you will learn more from them then those that are easier as its always better to be over-prepared then under-prepared.

Good luck on your major but know that aerospace engineering majors are more specialized compared to mechanical engineering in which is more broad but has more opportunities to work in other fields. So do check out other majors as many classes you take in engineering will be shared among other engineering major requirements such as math, physics, chemistry.

Question: - “What advice would you have to someone studying aerospace engineering?”

I assume you mean Aerospace Engineering as taught is a U.S. University. (My High School offered a ‘aeronautical’ course of study in which I took part. )

Take advantage of your instructors, professors and technical societies. The purpose of Higher Education is not Sports, carousing, social parties or other extra-curricular activities. Do your homework, make use of the resources offered and take a lot of the basic courses in Physics, Applied Mechanics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and even Liberal Arts. If you are having a technical hard time, seek help before it gets out of hand. Before you graduate, line up a job with which you are comfortable using the resources of your school. Try to excel, not to get the best job but to get the best education for yourself.

The first half of my day is studying. Emails, blogs, whitepapers. All the material I can find to help me keep the secret that the Earth is flat. Responses for when people ask why there are no stars in moon photos. Fake explanations for how GPS works.

Then I spend the last half of my day counting all the conspiracy money I get from the World Order Government. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

—

Jokes aside, a day for an aerospace engineer can be varied.

Since my focus is controls, I spend most of my day working on a computer. Also, because I work at a startup, I end up wearing many hats. My day can consist of:

• Programming (Matlab, Python, C)
• Scheduling and project management
• System design
• Hardware reviews
• Interviews
• Integration and testing (turning wrenches and breadboarding)
• Research

A solid aerospace engineer can make their job description pretty much anything they want. You could end up producing CAD and engineering drawings, making business deals, building flight hardware and test rigs, doing lots of math, powerpointing and presenting.

It’s all about convincing someone to pay you for it.

I spent fifty-six years as an aerospace engineer and never regretted a moment of it. In all of those years, all of my co-workers, except one, seemed satisfied with their jobs. Of course there may be other responders to this question that may say they were stuck in a dull, low-paying position, and wish they had chosen another career. There are also a few that made a bad choice of going into Engineering in the first place; sometimes they were able to make a transition. Here is my take:

PROs

1. I worked on a variety of space and defense programs, all nationally important, with exciting periods
2. The assignments were varied
3. I got to meet a lot of important people in the industry
4. I got to travel a lot
5. There are always job opportunities - Aerospace projects aren’t going away
6. The salary was acceptable and perhaps better than other job

CONs

1. The need for engineers is cyclical. Companies get contracts that eventually end and start laying off
2. You may have to re-locate to grab a new job

There isn't too much of a difference per se between Aeronautical and Aerospace engineering. Aeronautical engineering is more of a subset of Aerospace engineering. Aeronautical engineers focus on building aircraft that fly within the earth's atmosphere.

They get an education in the basics of math, physics, and chemistry with more advanced studies in propulsion, Aerodynamics, sensors, power generation, and other scientific topics. Both, general Aerospace engineers and Aeronautical engineers study these topics, but Aerospace engineers may work on the spacecraft that goes outside of the earth's atmosphere, in the field known as astronautical engineering.

The Complete Guide to Aerospace Engineering

What is the difference between Aerospace Engineering and Astronautical Engineering?

While Aerospace engineers study the aforementioned topics, astronautical engineers have an additional task. They must build and design spacecraft that function both within the earth's atmosphere and outside of it. This includes topics like thermodynamics and quantum physics at the bachelor's level, and things like space navigation, rocket propulsion and orbital mechanics at a graduate level.

What Does Aerospace Mean?

The word Aerospace is a relatively new one as it was first used in the 1950s. The meaning of the word is anything pertaining to the earth's atmosphere and/or outer space.

Aerospace is comprised of two-word roots. Aero has its roots in the Greek word "aer," which means air, atmosphere or gases. You may recognize it from other words dealing with these topics like Aerosol and anAerobic. Space was first used in relation to outer space in the late 1800s. However, it has been used to mean an interval of distance since the 1400s. In this case, it may refer to both.

What Does Aeronautical Mean?

The word Aeronautical means anything related to building or flying aircraft within the earth's atmosphere. It was first used in the 1780s in relation to the burgeoning aircraft of the era - hot air balloons.

The word is made up of a few different parts: Aero, which you will recognize from Aerospace, and nautical. The latter is from the Greek word "nautikos", and means anything pertaining to ships and the sea. Of course, planes and spaceships do not go in the ocean, but they are ships of a sort.

What does Astronautical Mean?

Astronautical relates to the building and flying of aircraft that are meant to go into outer space. It contains the word for the scientists and travelers who pilot and live on these spacecraft, astronaut. The term was first used in the 1920s when the field of space travel became a possibility and interesting in society.

The prefix Astro comes from the Greek word of the same name meaning star. Thus, astronautical quite literally means, navigating a ship into the stars. Pretty, indeed.

The Complete Guide to Aerospace Engineering

What is Aerospace Technology?

Aerospace technology is a broad field since planes, spacecraft and other flying objects have so many components to them in modern times. It includes everything from propulsion systems to airplane wings and helicopter blades.

However, it is much more than just the mechanics involved in flying. It also includes things like security and operational software that pilots use to make airborne vehicles work. Think of every detail that goes into an aircraft - that's Aerospace technology.

What is a Rocket Scientist?

Technically speaking, a rocket scientist isn't an official position. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, says there are rocket engineers and scientists, but there isn't necessarily one position that combines the two disciplines. However, rocket engineers and scientists may work together on Aerospace projects.

Rocket scientists may be thought of as people who work on propulsion systems for Aerospace projects, or anyone who works in the Aerospace field. How do you become one? Well, since it is synonymous with an Aerospace engineer, the path is very similar. Just get a degree in the topic and you might consider telling people you are a rocket scientist!

History of Aerospace Engineering

The human mind has always looked to the sky to push the limits of what is possible. Well, in this regard you can say that these early dreamers were the first Aerospace engineers, though they were probably very different than the ones we know today. Since the time of Da Vinci, brilliant minds have designed and sketched different flying machines, but never brought them to fruition.

The first humans took flight in the 1780s with the invention of the hot air balloon. Since that moment in time, a slew of inventors attempted to create a propulsion system for hot air balloons, and scientists and inventors began to study gliders which helped them learn about Aerodynamics.

How an Airplane flies? What are the forces acting in flight?

How Lift is produced by an airfoil? What is Drag?

What is venturi effect?

What is Thrust?

What is aircraft Stall? What is a super stall? What is stall warning?

What is critical Mach number? What are shock waves?

What is compressibility effect?

How does a Turbo jet engine work? What is a Ramjet Engine?

What is a solid propellant Rocket?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of composite materials?

What is the material of the turbine blades of a jet engine?

What is the escape velocity?

What is subsonic, sonic, supersonic and hypersonic aircraft?

It is my opinion that other fields of engineering have a brighter future - with the exception of petroleum engineering. If aeronautical engineering is your passion, probably you should do it, but if you are looking for a lot of job opportunities, probably you should think about a different major.

I assume you are from India and have been in the US for some time. Most Indians have a good grasp of English, so that is a non issue and especially in your case it would not be an issue.

Another thing to think about is finding out what you really want to do once you start taking classes. Most engineering curriculum are the same regardless of the major, so you can generally change your major after one year with minimum loss of credits.

Best of luck, Jim

One of the most important things about being an AeroSpace Engineer is understanding both the importance and the means of COMPROMISES among adjoining sub-disciplines.

Consider improving a flight vehicle's carrying capacity. Suppose you want 10% greater payload. To support that, the basic structure may need to also grow in weight by 5%. Now the needed lift is not going up 10%, but 15%. What does that do to fuel needed? Gee, we actually now want 18% for a 10% payload. But that also means ….

So in the real world, an entire table of senior engineers will be sitting around debating and trading off changes.

At MIT, every time some change was suggested in class, we were asked to define all the related changes the first change implied.

One prof expressed it as: “Flight Vehicles are machines that almost do not work. The job of the Aero Eng is to locate the compromises that can remove THREE WORDS from that sentence.”

I attended several other universities later. I did not hear any of the classes at those other universities stress this point.

That is why I am so pleased I went to MIT.

And BTW, by 5 years out of school, I was sitting at such a table working on compromises of this sort with colleagues.

If you are going into Flight Vehicles (Aero, Astro, AeroSpace, call it what you will), keep this discussion in mind.

• Difference between science, engineering and technology
  
• Implementing an idea is not as easy as it sounds
• Perseverance and not brute intelligence is the key to innovation
• Not all people are as smart as you are
• Management sucks ass and are usually full of shit
  
• Lastly, if something doesn't work, use the following flowchart

Fundamentals:

• There are very few countries in the world that have a real aerospace industry (may be a dozen?) US, UK, Russia, China, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Brazil....
• There are very few aerospace engineering college departments (dedicated) in the USA or the world and most are in excellent universities and will demand a Lot from you as a student List of aerospace engineering schools scroll up/down for other countries
• Within a country that has a great aerospace industry, most of it is concentrated in specific areas of the country and you had Better want to live there and raise a family
• The aerospace industry has the highest ratio of engineers to total employees of any industry and most of the engineers are Not aerospace engineers
• If you screw up, Billions of dollars can be lost and People will Die.

It is a great career, but just be cognizant of those caveats.

Fields of engineering like mechanical or aerospace requires a good understanding of physics and mathematics.

Aerospace engineering is mainly subdivided into three sections

1. Aerodynamics - This is closely related with fluid dynamics and higher level mathematics. Apart from that if you are good at coding then you can also specialise in computational fluid dynamics.

So, Aerodynamics = Fluid Dynamics + Mathematics + Programming

2. Propulsion - Thermodynamics, Gas Dynamics, Higher level mathematics, high school level physical chemistry

3. Structure - Mechanics, Solid Mechanics, Higher level mathematics

But if you are right now in your high school (which I am presuming) then you should deepen your high school physics and mathematics knowledge . Rest of the things which I mentioned above are derived from your high school physics and mathematics only and you will learn these things in your engineering University.

I am retired now but retain memories of my years studying electronics engineering at Calif State Polytechnic University. (Cal Poly is a highly rated school for engineering).

Reasonable intelligence is important, especially a talent for science and math. Also important is the need to feel passionate about your studies and the magnificent work you will be doing after university.

But…..None of this will help unless you have a rock solid committment to working your f……g ass off until….finally….after four or five exhausting years…….you are handed your degree. Aerospace and any other engineering require very long hours of hard, focused study. Sleep is for the liberal arts weannies…not for you!

Study of any engineering discipline is truly serious business. Don’t do it unless you are willing to sacrifice fraternity/sorority parties, football games, etc. Better yet….don’t join at all. Granted…..there are a few individuals who can do it all but they are extraordinary.

STEM disciplines, in general, are the same although I, personally, feel engineering is the toughest of the four.

BUT…..if you do it right and get decent grades your lifetime career will be rewarding and a great joy. It was for me. I sit here now and watch the F-35 in production and operational all over the world and think, “I had a fairly significant role in birthing of that beautiful aircraft from 1990 to 2000 (retirement).” Got to watch first flight of the prototype from Palmdale airport in 2000. And ….. my team designed/integrated the avionics for that prototype. It’s now on display at the National Air and Space museum at Dulles airport. I did a Wahington DC visit a few years ago and stopped by to say “hello” to it.

VERY rewarding.

There are few topics in which you should be well versed for you to score good in Aerospace Majors.

Aircraft structures as well as mechanics of solids- This is one area of study that you can concentrate on.

Aerodynamics- A must know for every aerospace engineer, theory of flight is all this.

Propulsion- Gas turbine as well as rocket propulsion is the heart of an airplane/rocket.

CFD- When it comes to projects, simulating it before you make one is a must for us.

Orbital space dynamics- It is good that you know this but not that mandatory.

It is quite okay if you are not very good at these, you can utilize master’s studies to make your fundamentals strong.

Hi Jack— My primary suggestion might be to re-evaluate your choice of major. I was in exactly your position about 40 years ago (goodness, has it been that long??).

Aerospace Engineering is pretty much just a ‘specialized’ version of Mechanical Engineering. In fact, in most universities you could qualify for either degree if you took the right combination of courses.

The trouble that has always existed is that the Aerospace industry has been quite ‘cyclic’. During ‘down periods’ of Aerospace, an employer may be faced with the choice of hiring a Mechanical Engineer or an Aerospace Engineer. Typically, people with Aerospace degrees are ‘stereotyped’ as not really being interested in much else. Therefore, if a potential employer has a choice between the two, he will probably feel that the Mechanical Engineering applicant represents the more stable investment of the two— i.e., the Aerospace applicant will be more prone to ‘going away’ if and when the space program picks up again.

Unless you’re in the position of being able to ‘pick and choose’ your work (and most of us are not!) you should get a degree that makes you as ‘marketable’ as possible.

I hope you find the above helpful.

Becoming an aerospace engineer involves a combination of formal education, practical experience, continuous learning, and specialization.

• At High School you are meant to focus on subjects like Physics, mathematics, and chemistry. Participate in science clubs, robotics teams, and other STEM-related activities to build relevant skills and experience. It’s the time when your dreams and goals keep fluctuating, perhaps digging into the field will help you continue your interest :)
• Then you have to enroll in a recognized and accredited aerospace engineering program with core subjects typically in fluid dynamics, material science, structural analysis, propulsion and aerodynamics.

Alternatively, a degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field can also be a good foundation, followed by a specialization in aerospace engineering.

• You should always prioritize internships with aerospace companies, research labs, or government agencies like NASA or ISRO. Some universities offer cooperative education programs that combine classroom study with practical work experience.

Participate in or initiate projects related to aerospace engineering, such as building model aircraft, drones, or rockets. Get involved in research projects under the guidance of professors or through university research programs.

• Pursue a master’s degree in aerospace engineering or a related field to gain specialized knowledge and enhance job prospects. Depending on your career goals, choose between a research-focused (thesis) or

coursework-focused (non-thesis) program.

For those interested in a career in research or academia, a PhD in aerospace engineering can be beneficial. Conduct original research and contribute to advancements in the field.

• Now comes the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam, which is typically taken after completing a bachelor’s degree. Gain relevant work experience under the supervision of a licensed engineer (usually 4 years). Pass the PE {Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam} exam to become a licensed Professional Engineer.

Obtain certifications relevant to specific areas of aerospace engineering, such as project management (PMP) or systems engineering (INCOSE).

• After all these things are done, apply for entry-level positions in aerospace companies, government agencies, or research institutions.

Join professional organizations like the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to network and stay updated with industry trends.

Continuous Learning

Participate in workshops, seminars, and continuing education courses to keep up with advancements in the field. Gain proficiency in specialized software and tools used in aerospace engineering, such as CAD (Computer-Aided Design), CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), and FEA (Finite Element Analysis).

You can build a successful career in designing, developing, and improving the technology that propels the aerospace industry forward.