| Aerospace engineers design, develop, and test
aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise the manufacture of
these products. Those who work with aircraft are called aeronautical
engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are
astronautical engineers. Aerospace engineers develop new technologies
for use in aviation, defense systems, and space exploration, often
specializing in areas such as structural design, guidance, navigation
and control, instrumentation and communication, or production methods.
They also may specialize in a particular type of aerospace product, such
as commercial aircraft, military fighter jets, helicopters, spacecraft,
or missiles and rockets, and may become experts in aerodynamics,
thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, acoustics, or guidance
and control systems. Source:
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. |
