Aerospace engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to the design, development, and implementation of systems or vehicles that travel above the surface of the earth. The vehicles may include a variety of aircraft and spacecraft such as low-speed propeller-powered aircraft, high-speed jet-powered aircraft, along with space-related vehicles and systems that include rockets, spacecraft, space stations, planetary rovers and various types of specialty equipment.
Aerospace engineers may develop new technologies for use in aviation, defense systems, and spacecraft. They often specialize in areas such as aerodynamic fluid flow; structural design; guidance, navigation, and control; instrumentation and communication; robotics; or propulsion and combustion. They can specialize in designing different types of aerospace products, such as commercial and military airplanes and helicopters; remotely piloted aircraft and rotorcraft; spacecraft, including launch vehicles and satellites; and military missiles and rockets.
Aerospace engineers typically are specialized in one of two types of engineering, aeronautical engineering or astronautical engineering:
Aeronautical engineers work with aircrafts. They are involved primarily in designing aircraft and propulsion systems and in studying the aerodynamic performance of aircraft and construction materials. They work with the theory, technology, and practice of flight within the earth’s atmosphere.
Astronautical engineers work with the science and technology of spacecrafts and how they perform inside and outside the earth’s atmosphere.
Courtesy of: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2011-2012 Edition.