Aerospace Engineering is a branch of Engineering that provides skills and knowledge to design, manufacture and maintain spacecrafts, aircrafts, missiles and weapons systems. A large part of Aerospace Engineering consists of Mechanical Engineering covering a wide range of topics, including computer application, structures, mathematics, physics, drafting, electricity, robotics, aeronautics etc. It also covers two aspects of engineering, namely Aeronautical Engineering and Astronomical Engineering.

Aerospace Engineering is considered to among the toughest branches of engineering that has carved its niche among the students. However, once completed this course gives ‘wings’ to your career taking it to new heights. 

Here’s an overview of Aerospace Engineering for aspirants who wish to make a career in this field.

Aerospace Engineering is a highly specialised technological field that requires overall excellence in mathematical, calculative and observational skills. Research in this field takes years to be completed thus, resilience and persistence are important. Here are a few essential qualities/skills you would require to be a successful Aerospace Engineer:

An Aerospace Engineering aspirant must meet the minimum eligibility criteria to be able to pursue the course. Check the minimum eligibility criteria for Aerospace Engineering below:

• Minimum eligibility criteria for pursuing Aerospace Engineering is passing higher secondary or Class 12 with a minimum of 60 per cent marks (55 per cent marks for SC/ST) in Science stream (Physics, Chemistry and Maths)
• Aerospace Engineering is most of the degree courses are offered at post-graduate level. For this, the candidate is required to have 60 per cent marks (55 per cent marks for SC/ST) in Bachelor’s degree (BE/B Tech or equivalent)
• For admission to post-graduate and Doctoral programmes and research, GATEscore is required
• Candidates with three-four year degree in Engineering, technical diploma, five-year Architecture,  Postgraduates in Mathematics/Science/Statistics/Computer Applications are also eligible to pursue Aerospace Engineering
• If one aspires to join National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States (US), they must be informed that NASA recommends a degree in a variety of disciplines, including Biomedical Engineering, Ceramic Engineering, Chemistry, Industrial Engineering, Materials Engineering, Metallurgy, Optical Engineering, and Oceanography. PhD is highly recommended for those who want to join NASA.

The Aerospace Engineering programme is essentially a BTech programme which is spread over four academic years. Any Aerospace Engineering course comprises the following subjects/topics:

Aerospace Engineers design spacecraft, aircraft, missiles and weapons systems. In addition, they are also responsible for assembling, maintaining and ensuring they function properly at all times. Some specialise in other important equipment such as air guidance systems, guidance control systems, propulsions, etc.

Duties of an Aerospace Engineer include:

• Developing new technologies for use in spacecraft, aviation and defense systems
• Designing, assembling and testing of aircraft and aerospace products
• Examine damage or malfunction in an equipment to find our possible reason and offer solution
• Assessing cost and feasibility of new projects proposed to be undertaken
• Determining quality standard acceptance criteria for design methods, quality standards, sustainment after delivery, and completion dates
• Evaluating that the project or the product meets engineering principles, safety norms, customer requirements and environmental challenges
• Manufacturing aircraft and individual components in coordination with the design team.
• Aerospace Engineers take on specialised areas of functioning such as software engineering, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, for automation and guidance purposes, aerodynamics or propulsion systems.

Aerospace Engineers specialise in two types of Engineering: Aeronautical and Astronomical.

Aeronautical Engineer: An Aeronautical Engineer works on aircrafts and its components.

Astronomical Engineer: An Astronomical Engineer works specifically on spacecraft and related technologies.

Aerospace Engineering is an ever evolving field, adopting new technology for further development in production and functioning of aircrafts and spacecrafts. Earlier the space was dominated by government organisations, but with the entry of many private players, opportunities in this industry are growing more and more. Listed below are a few organisations that hire Aerospace Engineers in various capacities.

• Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO)
• Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL)
• National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL)
• Defence Research And Development Organisation (DRDO)

Private companies that hire Aerospace Engineers for their aircraft related projects are: Airbus, Boeing, Goodrich, GE.