Aerospace Engineers

Although the creation of aircraft and spacecraft involves professionals from many branches of engineering (e.g., materials, electrical, and mechanical), aerospace engineers, in particular, are responsible for the total design of the craft, including its shape, performance, propulsion, and guidance control system. In the field of aerospace engineering, professional responsibilities vary widely depending on the specific job description. Aeronautical engineers work specifically with aircraft systems, and astronautical engineers specialize in spacecraft systems.

Throughout their education and training, aerospace engineers thoroughly learn the complexities of how materials and structures perform under tremendous stress. In general, they are called upon to apply their knowledge of the following subjects: propulsion, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, flight mechanics, and structural analysis. Less technically scientific issues must also often be dealt with, such as cost analysis, reliability studies, maintainability, operations research, marketing, and management.

There are many professional titles given to certain aerospace engineers. Analytical engineers use engineering and mathematical theory to solve questions that arise during the design phase. Stress analysts determine how the weight and loads of structures behave under various conditions. This analysis is performed with computers and complex formulas.

Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) engineers use sophisticated high-speed computers to develop models to study fluid dynamics. Using simulated systems, they determine how elements flow around objects; simulation saves time and money and eliminates risks involved with actual testing. As computers become more complex, so do the tasks of the CFD engineer.

Design aerospace engineers draw from the expertise of many other specialists. They devise the overall structure of components and entire crafts, meeting the specifications developed by those more specialized in aerodynamics, astrodynamics, and structural engineering. Design engineers use computer-aided design programs for many of their tasks. Manufacturing aerospace engineers develop plans for producing the complex components that makeup aircraft and spacecraft. They work with the designers to ensure that the plans are economically feasible and will make efficient, effective components.

Materials aerospace engineers determine the suitability of the various materials used to produce aerospace vehicles. Aircraft and spacecraft require the appropriate tensile strength, density, and rigidity for the particular environments they are subjected to. Determining how materials such as steel, glass, and even chemical compounds react to temperature and stress is an important part of the materials engineer's responsibilities.

Quality control is a task that aerospace engineers perform throughout the development, design, and manufacturing processes. The finished product must be evaluated for its reliability, vulnerability, and how it will be maintained and supported.

Marketing and sales aerospace engineers work with customers, usually, industrial corporations and the government, informing them of product performance. They liaise between the technical engineers and the clients to help ensure that the products delivered perform as planned. Sales engineers also need to anticipate the customer's needs as far ahead as possible to inform their companies of potential marketing opportunities. They also keep abreast of their competitors and must understand how to structure contracts effectively.