Some of the elements of aerospace engineering are:
- Aerodynamics - the study of Fluid flow around objects such as Wing s or through objects such as Wind Tunnel s (see also Lift and Aeronautics )
- Propulsion - the energy to move a vehicle through the air (or in outer space) is provided by Internal Combustion Engine s, Jet Engine s, or Rocket s (see also Propeller and Spacecraft Propulsion )
- Control Engineering - the study of mathematical modelling of systems and designing them in order that they behave in the desired way
- Structures - design of the physical configuration of the craft to withstand the forces encountered during flight. Aerospace engineering aims very much at keeping structures lightweight.
- Materials Science - related to structures, aerospace engineering also studies the materials of which the aerospace structures are to be built. New materials with very specific properties are invented, or existing ones are modified to improve their performance.
- Aeroelasticity - the interaction of aerodynamic forces and structural flexibility, potentially causing Flutter , divergence, etc
- Computer Science - specifically concerning the design and programming of any computer systems on board an aircraft or spacecraft and the simulation of systems.
The basis of most of these elements lies in theoretical Mathematics , such as Fluid Dynamics for aerodynamics or the Equations Of Motion for Flight Dynamics . However, there is also a large Empirical component. Historically, this empirical component was derived from testing of scale models and prototypes, either in wind tunnels or in the free atmosphere. More recently, advances in Computing have enabled the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics to simulate the behavior of fluid, reducing time and expense spent on wind-tunnel testing.
Additionally, aerospace engineering addresses the integration of all components that constitute an aerospace vehicle (subsystems including power, communications, thermal control, life support, etc.) and its life cycle (design, temperature, pressure, radiation, velocity, life time), leading to extraordinary challenges and solutions specific to the domain of aerospace systems engineering.
See List Of Aerospace Engineering Topics .
Popular culture has not been unaffected by this branch of engineering. The term "rocket scientist" is at times used to describe a person of remarkable or in the considered context higher than average intelligence. Aerospace engineering has also been represented as the more "glittery" pinnacle of engineering. The movie Apollo 13 depicts the ground team as group of heroes in a Hollywood fashion glorifying the intelligence and competence of ''white shirt and tie'' professionals as a sharp contrast to pop culture trends. This was later extended in more detail in the spin-off series From The Earth To The Moon .
Aerospace (or aeronautical) engineering can be studied at the Bachelors , Masters , and Ph.D. levels in aerospace engineering departments at many universities, and in mechanical engineering departments at others.
At least the following institutions offer aerospace engineering education (school names followed by accredation where applicable):
- Australia
- --- Australian Defence Force Academy
- --- University Of New South Wales
- --- University Of Sydney
- --- Monash University
- --- RMIT University
- Brazil
- --- Instituto Tecnológico De Aeronáutica
- --- University Of São Paulo , São Carlos
- Canada
- --- Carleton University
- --- University Of Toronto - an option within Engineering Science, as well as M.A.Sc. and PhD in Aerospace engineering
- --- Ryerson University
- France
- --- École Nationale Supérieure De L'Aéronautique Et De L'Espace
- Germany
- --- University Of Stuttgart
- Greece
- --- University Of Patras
- India
- --- Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh
- --- Indian Institute Of Sciences, Bangalore
- --- Indian Institute Of Technology, Bombay
- --- Indian Institute Of Technology, Kanpur
- --- Indian Institute Of Technology, Kharagpur
- --- Indian Institute Of Technology, Madras
- --- Madras Institute Of Technology, Chennai
- Iran
- --- Sharif University Of Technology
- --- Amirkabir University Of Technology
- Israel
- --- Technion -Israel Institute of Technology
- Italy
- --- University Of Bologna
- --- Politecnico Di Milano
- --- First University Of Roma "La Sapienza"
- --- Politecnico Di Torino
- --- University Of Pisa
- Jordan
- --- Jordan University For Science And Technology http://www.just.edu.jo/
- Malaysia
- --- International Islamic University Malaysia
- --- Universiti Putra Malaysia
- --- Universiti Sains Malaysia
- Netherlands
- --- Delft University Of Technology (ABET)
- Portugal
- --- Instituto Superior Técnico
- --- Universidade Da Beira Interior, Covilhã
- Singapore
- --- Nanyang Technological University
- --- Singapore Polytechnic
- Sweden
- --- Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Stockholm
- Turkey
- --- Middle East Technical University
- United Kingdom
- --- University Of Bristol
- --- Coventry University
- --- Cranfield University
- --- Kingston University
- --- University Of Liverpool
- --- Loughborough University (MEng)
- --- University Of Southampton
- --- University Of Sheffield (MEng)
- --- Imperial College London , University Of London (MEng)
- United States
- --- Air Force Institute Of Technology ( Accreditation Board For Engineering And Technology (ABET))
- --- University Of Alabama In Huntsville (ABET)
- --- University Of Alabama (ABET)
- --- Arizona State University (ABET)
- --- University Of Arizona (ABET)
- --- Auburn University (ABET)
- --- Boston University (ABET)
- --- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (ABET)
- --- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (ABET)
- --- California State University, Long Beach (ABET)
- --- University Of California, Davis (ABET)
- --- University Of California, Irvine (ABET)
- --- University Of California, Los Angeles (ABET)
- --- University Of California, San Diego (ABET)
- --- Case Western Reserve University (ABET)
- --- University Of Central Florida (ABET)
- --- University Of Cincinnati (ABET)
- --- Clarkson University (ABET)
- --- University Of Colorado At Boulder (ABET)
- --- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
-- Daytona Beach campus (ABET)
-- Prescott campus (ABET)
- --- Florida Institute Of Technology (ABET)
- --- University Of Florida (ABET)
- --- Georgia Institute Of Technology (ABET)
- --- University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign (ABET)
- --- Illinois Institute Of Technology (ABET)
- --- Iowa State University (ABET)
- --- University Of Kansas (ABET)
- --- University Of Maryland, College Park (ABET)
- --- Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (ABET)
- --- University Of Michigan (ABET)
- --- University Of Minnesota (ABET)
- --- Mississippi State University (ABET)
- --- University Of Missouri-Rolla (ABET)
- --- Naval Postgraduate School (ABET)
- --- University At Buffalo (ABET)
- --- North Carolina State University (ABET)
- --- University Of Notre Dame (ABET)
- --- Ohio State University (ABET)
- --- Oklahoma State University (ABET)
- --- University Of Oklahoma (ABET)
- --- Pennsylvania State University (ABET)
- --- Princeton University (ABET)
- --- Purdue University (ABET)
- --- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (ABET)
- --- Saint Louis University (ABET)
- --- San Diego State University (ABET)
- --- San Jose State University (ABET)
- --- University Of Southern California (ABET)
- --- Syracuse University (ABET)
- --- University Of Tennessee At Knoxville (ABET)
- --- Texas A & M University (ABET)
- --- University Of Texas At Arlington (ABET)
- --- University Of Texas At Austin (ABET)
- --- Tuskegee University (ABET)
- --- United States Air Force Academy (ABET)
- --- United States Naval Academy (ABET)
- --- Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University (ABET)
- --- University Of Virginia (ABET)
- --- University Of Washington (ABET)
- --- West Virginia University (ABET)
- --- Western Michigan University (ABET)
- --- Wichita State University (ABET)
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