Have you ever wondered how these giant aircraft are made? Who repairs these spacecraft? Are the engineers and designers who design automobiles also manufacture aeroplanes? What do they study to become such engineers??? Then, all the answers to your questions are hidden in this article.
Know more: Which Engineering Branches Have Maximum Chances of Getting a Job?
The engineers who design, construct, develop, test and maintain the commercial and military aircraft and space crafts are called Aerospace Engineers or Aeronautical engineers. Aerospace engineers have specialized in two fields, i.e. aeronautical or astronautical. Aeronautical engineers are primarily involved in designing aircraft and studying the aerodynamic performance of aircraft and construction materials on the basis of the theory and practice of flight within the Earth's atmosphere. Astronautical engineers deal with small satellites, space crafts and traditional large satellites by studying both inside and outside the atmosphere of the Earth.
The Pros and Cons of Becoming an Aerospace Engineer
PROS
- One of the highest paid jobs in the world.
- They produce mega devices like aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and many more which are even beyond the imagination of common people.
- They get a chance to tour the world for various project works.
CONS
- It is hard to get into this career.
- Very stressful job.
- Long working hours.
- This is a location-specific job, which requires an engineer to shift his and his family accordingly.
Eligibility to Study Aerospace Engineering
One can pursue an advanced diploma, bachelors, masters, and PhD courses in aerospace engineering. To pursue bachelor’s degree, students interested to study aerospace engineering should take courses like chemistry, physics, advanced math, and computer programming and computer languages in 12th and for master degree, students must have a bachelor degree in the related field. Also, the aspirants have to qualify the national level entrance tests to study this branch of engineering.
Top Institutions Offering Aerospace Engineering degree
- IIT Kanpur
- IIT Kharagpur
- IIT Bombay
- Indian Institute of Science
- IIT Delhi
- Birla Institute of Technology
- Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering
- University of Petroleum and Energy Studies
- Hindustan University
Career options in Aerospace Engineering
The students of aerospace engineering study Radar Cross-Section, Fluid Mechanics, Astro-dynamics, Statics and Dynamics (engineering mechanics), Mathematics, Electrotechnology, Control engineering, Aircraft structures, Materials science, Solid mechanics, Aeroelasticity, Avionics, Software, Risk and reliability, Noise control, Aeroacoustics, Flight test.
Comparatively very few students choose these branches, unlike other branches. The aerospace engineers get the opportunity to work in Air Force, Airlines, NASA, Flying clubs, Aeronautical Laboratories, Corporate Research Companies, Helicopter Companies, Defence Ministry, Aviation Companies, Aircraft manufacturers, government-owned air services and many others. In this field, one can work as Aerospace designer checker, Aircraft production managers, Mechanical design engineers, Assistant technical officers, Thermal design engineers, professors and researchers.
Important entrance exams:
| Entrance exam | Tentative Entrance date | Website |
|---|---|---|
| JEE Main | April | www.jeemain.nic.in |
| JEE Advanced | May/June | www.jeeadv.ac.in |
| NEAT | June | www.srde.org |
| BITSAT | Apr or May | www.bitsadmission.com/bitsatmain.aspx |
| ENAT | Apr/May | www.epsfi.org |
| VITEEE | Apr | www.vit.ac.in |
| DU-CET | June | www.dtu.ac.in |
| COMEDK | May | www.comedk.org |
| ATIT | May | www.icfaiuniversity.in/atit/btech_program.html |
| ISAT | June | www.iist.ac.in/admissions/undergraduate |
| CWAT | May | www.acds.co.in |
| SRMUEE | Apr | www.srmuniv.ac.in |
| IPUCET | May | www.ipu.ac.in |
| GATE (for PG) | Jan-Feb | www.gate.iisc.ernet.in |
Top recruiters:
- ISRO
- HAL
- NAL
- DRDO
- GE
Read also: Does engineering study fulfill your sky-high dreams??
