aeronautical engineering

 

What is Aerospace Engineering?

Aerospace Engineering or Aeronautical Engineering – Aeronautical Engineering also known as Aerospace Engineering is the study of the development of spacecrafts and aircrafts. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. It has been the crème de la branch of engineering. 

 

Aeronautical Engineering colleges in India

Top colleges in India offering a degree in Aerospace Engineering are as follows-

  1. Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
  2. Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
  3. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
  4. Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
  5. Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Dehradun
  6. Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai
  7. Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology, Chennai
  8. Nehru College of Aeronautical and Applied Science, Coimbatore
  9. School of Aviation Science and Technology , Delhi
  10. Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh

 

What do Aeronautical Engineers do?

  1. They design missiles, satellites, spacecraft and aircraft.
  2. They are in charge of feasibility evaluations for spacecraft, airplanes, and helicopters, small and large missiles.
  3. They make virtual prototypes and have to take up computer-based testing.
  4. They are involved in safety assessments for proposed spacecrafts or parts.
  5. They have to maintain the engineering standards for designs, prototypes and products.
  6. They also get to design electrical, mechanical, guidance, propulsion, structural and other systems.

 

Skills required for becoming an Aerospace Engineer

  1. One must have excellent problem-solving and analytical skills. one must be highly creative and enjoy writing chunks of computer code.
  2. The candidate should  be strong in math as the job involves performing complex calculations using trigonometry and calculus.
  3. The candidate should have good presentation skills as they have to clearly explain the benefits of the design and address criticisms.
  4. One should enjoy working in a team and be ready to take up high-level research.

 

Aeronautical Engineering jobs

Aeronautical Engineers are able to work in companies which design or build aircrafts, missiles, systems for national defense, or spacecrafts. 

They can  also take up jobs in space organizations like NASA, ISRO, etc. 

One can even become an astronaut or a pilot. 

Now, there will be many questions lingering in your mind: Like, what subjects do I need to study, how can you pursue a career in Aerospace technology, etc. We will answer them one by one.

 

Aeronautical Engineer salary

Aeronautical engineers are paid a median annual wage of $115,220 across the world. In India also, it is one of the highest paid degrees. 

 

Aeronautical Engineering subjects of study

The core subjects of study during the Aeronautical Engineering UG course are as follows:

  1. Fluid Dynamics
  2. Materials sciences
  3. Structural Analysis
  4. Propulsion
  5. Automatic Control and Guidance
  6. Aircraft Performance and Aircraft Structures

One can avail scholarships for pursuing a UG degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

 

Career in Aerospace Engineering

How can you pursue a career in aerospace engineering?

The first step for a career in the aerospace sector is to get a UG degree in Aeronautical Engineering. In India, one has to pass 10+2 board exam from a recognized board in India with Science- Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry with great scores. Then you have to get a good rank in the engineering entrance exams like JEE-Main and JEE-Advanced. It is also advisable that one pursues post-graduation course in a related field as the jobs require deep knowledge of the subjects.

 

Career Prospects after a degree in Aerospace Engineering

Though joining NASA and ISRO is every aerospace engineer’s dream, now you have many private and public companies offering good pay and satisfying jobs. Few of the prestigious companies are 

  • Airbus, 
  • Boeing, 
  • Defense research and development organization (DRDO), and 
  • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). 

One is eligible to  get to work in all the commercial airlines.  One can get government jobs in all three arms of the defense sector and civil aviation departments. With aerospace engineering career, you can not only get good salary but can take part in breakthrough achievements of the country.    

 So, those students who are fascinated by the history and methodology behind flying machines right from hot air balloons to NASA’s spacecrafts, can take up this course and turn their passion into a successful profession. All the best!

 

See: What are the top Aerospace Engineering Colleges in India?