Aerospace Engineering is one of the most advanced branches of engineering. Aerospace engineers design anything from aeroplanes that weigh over a half a million pounds to spacecraft that travel over 17,000 miles an hour. They design, develop, and test aircraft, build satellites, spacecraft and missiles and supervise manufacturing of these products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are considered aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are considered astronautical engineers.

Work

Aerospace engineers develop new technologies for use in aviation, defence and space exploration, and their areas of specialisation include structural design, guidance, navigation and control, instrumentation and communication, or production methods. They may also focus on a particular type of aerospace product, such as commercial transport, military fighter planes, helicopters, spacecraft, missiles or rockets. Aerospace engineers may be experts in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, acoustics, or guidance and control systems.

The future of aerospace engineering is as exciting and challenging as its history. Many products and inventions from aerospace projects are now used in many modern homes, such as non-stick cookware coatings and freeze-dried foods.

Job prospects

Opportunities exist for aeronautical engineers in Government organisations like the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and various research and defence labs. The Indian Air Force (IAF) and airlines such as Air India, Indian Airlines and private airlines employ aeronautical engineers for maintenance of aircraft. A lot of opportunities abound over seas for aeronautical engineers at NASA and international aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus.

Attributes

Organising ability, practical nature, ability to get along with people of various ranks from operatives to heads of research and senior management and ability to stay cool under pressure.

Eligibility

To become an aerospace engineer, you should have a graduate degree, B.E / B.Tech (four-year course) or at least a diploma in any of the branches of Engineering.
The basic eligibility requirement for a B.E / B.Tech degree is 10+2 or its equivalent exam, with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and a good score in the State Entrance Exam. The best courses in this field India are available at the IIT's at Mumbai, Chennai and Kanpur. Admission to the institutes is through the IIT-JEE exam.

Educational Institutes
M.Tech
Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering
Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore.

IIT Mumbai
IIT Chennai
IIT Kanpur

The Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) conducts an Associated membership exam, and students who clear this exam can also become aeronautical engineers.