Aerospace Engineering

What Is Aerospace Engineering?

Aerospace engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the design, development, manufacture, testing and operation of vehicles and systems that operate within Earth's atmosphere and in space.

It encompasses both aeronautical engineering, which concerns aircraft and atmospheric flight, and astronautical engineering, which concerns spacecraft, rockets and space systems.

The LinkedIn Group Aerospace Engineering Innovation has been created to connect the people interested in the aerospace field. You can also link to the LinkedIn profile Aerospace Engineer.

Major Branches of Aerospace Engineering

Physics of Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace engineering is fundamentally an applied physics discipline.

Aerodynamics

Aerodynamics is the study of the motion of air and its interaction with solid objects.

It is fundamental to aircraft design.

The lift equation relates lift to air density, velocity, wing area and the coefficient of lift.

The drag equation similarly relates aerodynamic drag to air density, velocity, wing area and the coefficient of drag.

Principles of Flight

For conventional aircraft in steady level flight, the major forces are approximately balanced.

Aircraft engineers design wings, fuselages and propulsion systems to achieve the required balance over a wide range of flight conditions.

Airfoils and Wings

An airfoil is a carefully shaped body designed to generate useful aerodynamic forces when air flows around it.

Supersonic and Hypersonic Flight

Aerospace engineers design vehicles capable of operating over a vast range of speeds.

At high speeds, compressibility, shock waves, aerodynamic heating and thermal protection become increasingly important.

Aerospace Propulsion

Propulsion provides the thrust required to move an aerospace vehicle.

Rocket Propulsion

Rocket engines differ fundamentally from aircraft engines because they carry their oxidiser with them.

This allows rockets to operate outside Earth's atmosphere.

Rocket propulsion is governed by conservation of momentum.

where thrust depends strongly on exhaust mass flow and exhaust velocity.

The Rocket Equation

The fundamental equation describing the ideal velocity change available from a rocket is the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation.

This equation demonstrates why achieving large changes in velocity requires careful management of propellant mass.

It is one of the fundamental equations of astronautical engineering.

Aerospace Structures

Aerospace structures must be simultaneously strong, stiff, lightweight and reliable.

Aerospace Materials

Material selection is one of the most important aspects of aerospace engineering.

Composite Materials

Modern aircraft increasingly use fibre-reinforced composite materials.

Carbon-fibre reinforced polymer composites combine high specific strength and stiffness with relatively low mass.

Avionics

Avionics refers to the electronic systems used in aircraft and spacecraft.

Flight Control Systems

Modern aerospace vehicles use sophisticated control systems to maintain stability and follow desired trajectories.

Fly-by-wire systems replace many traditional mechanical control connections with electronic systems.

Spacecraft Engineering

Astronautical engineering applies aerospace engineering principles to vehicles operating beyond the atmosphere.

Satellite Engineering

Satellites are complex systems that must operate reliably for years without direct physical access for repair.

Orbital Mechanics

Spacecraft engineers use orbital mechanics to calculate trajectories around Earth and other celestial bodies.

For an ideal circular orbit, this equation gives the orbital velocity required at a distance r from the centre of the central body.

Orbital mechanics is essential for:

• satellite deployment;
• rendezvous;
• docking;
• planetary missions;
• lunar missions;
• interplanetary transfers; and
• space-station operations.

Human Spaceflight

Aerospace engineering makes human spaceflight possible by integrating propulsion, structures, life support, avionics, thermal control and human factors.

Reusable Launch Vehicles

One of the major developments in modern aerospace engineering has been the advancement of reusable launch vehicles.

Reusability aims to reduce the amount of hardware discarded after each launch and can potentially improve launch economics.

Thermal Engineering

Aerospace vehicles experience extreme temperature environments.

Aerospace Manufacturing

Aerospace manufacturing requires extremely high standards of precision, quality assurance and traceability.

Systems Engineering

A modern aircraft or spacecraft consists of thousands or millions of interacting components.

Systems engineering ensures that these components work together as a coherent system.

Aerospace Safety

Safety is fundamental to aerospace engineering.

Civil Aerospace

Aerospace engineering supports the global civil aviation industry.

Defence Aerospace

Aerospace engineering also contributes to defence and security systems.

Examples include:

• military aircraft;
• helicopters;
• uncrewed aerial systems;
• radar platforms;
• surveillance aircraft;
• missile systems; and
• space-based defence infrastructure.

The Space Industry

Aerospace engineering is central to the rapidly developing global space sector.

Aerospace Engineering in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has a major aerospace engineering sector with strong capabilities in aircraft design, propulsion, advanced materials, manufacturing and space technology.

Aerospace Engineering in Lancashire

Lancashire has a particularly important place in British aerospace engineering.

The county contains a concentration of aerospace manufacturing, engineering, research and supply-chain organisations.

Important aerospace activity is concentrated around locations including Warton, Samlesbury, Preston and Blackpool.

Warton

Warton Aerodrome and the surrounding aerospace cluster have played a major role in British military aircraft development.

The area is strongly associated with the development, manufacture, testing and support of advanced combat aircraft.

Samlesbury

Samlesbury is another major aerospace location in Lancashire.

The area has extensive aerospace manufacturing and engineering activity and forms part of Lancashire's wider advanced manufacturing ecosystem.

Aerospace Research

Research and development are essential to advancing aerospace technology.

Computational Fluid Dynamics

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a major engineering tool for analysing airflow around aircraft and spacecraft.

CFD can be used to investigate:

• lift;
• drag;
• pressure distributions;
• shock waves;
• turbulence;
• heat transfer; and
• engine flows.

Digital Aerospace Engineering

Modern aerospace engineering increasingly relies on digital engineering methods.

Sustainable Aerospace

Reducing aviation's environmental impact is a major aerospace engineering challenge.

The Future of Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace engineering is evolving rapidly as new technologies change both aviation and spaceflight.

Careers in Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace engineers work across a wide range of technical specialisms.

Studying Aerospace Engineering

Aerospace engineering degrees typically combine mathematics, physics and engineering science with specialist aerospace subjects.

History of Aerospace Engineering

Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

A Multidisciplinary Discipline

Aerospace engineering brings together many areas of science and engineering.

This interdisciplinary character is what allows engineers to design complete aircraft, spacecraft and aerospace systems.

Summary

Aerospace engineering is one of the most technically demanding branches of engineering.

It encompasses everything from the aerodynamic design of an airliner to the propulsion system of an interplanetary spacecraft.

The discipline combines:

• aerodynamics;
• propulsion;
• structures;
• materials science;
• thermodynamics;
• avionics;
• control engineering;
• orbital mechanics;
• computer science; and
• systems engineering.