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Aerospace Engineering
In an aerospace engineering career, you might work on a new spacecraft tasked with bringing crew to the International Space Station. Or, you might be involved in developing a new generation of space telescopes, the source of some of our most significant cosmological discoveries. But outer space is just one of many realms to explore as an aerospace engineer. You might develop commercial airliners, military jets, or helicopters for our airways. And getting even more down-to-earth, you could design the latest ground and sea transportation, including high-speed trains, racing cars, or deep-sea vessels that explore life at the bottom of the ocean.
Meet Cathy, a NASA leader who is guiding the development of systems that will land the first woman on the Moon and send humans to Mars.
Overview1
$118,610
Median salary
61,400
Number of jobs in 2020
8%
Expected job growth in next 10 years
Jobs and education
In an Aerospace Engineering Career with a:
4-year degree:
- Build a more spacious airliner
- Create satellites that detect drought around the world
- Design robots that collect samples on other planets, revealing insights about our galaxy
- Develop parachutes, using new materials to improve their performance
- Design and develop new Earthbound vehicles like deep-diving vessels for oceanographic research or high-speed rail systems for safe and energy-efficient transportation.
2-year degree:
- Maintain, repair and inspect aircraft to ensure passenger safety.
Oversee the assembly, installation, and other manufacturing operations in the creation of airplanes, satellites, and other produced products. - Test avionics equipment using specialized equipment to ensure that products meet quality specifications.
In their lifetimes, aspiring aerospace professionals are likely to see space colonization, space-based solar power stations, an active search for extraterrestrial life, and the ability to travel to any point on Earth in a matter of hours.
Real World Aerospace Engineering Projects
James Webb Telescope
Webb will be the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built and launched into space. With it we may be able to answer the age old questions of “How did we get here? Are we alone in the universe? How does the universe work?”
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References:
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/aerospace-engineers.htm