Astronautical Engineering
Space vehicles have come a long way in a relatively short period of time. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, unmanned devices can travel greater distances and remain there for longer periods through intelligent navigational systems and remote sensing. These capabilities are largely attributable to the work and technical know how that astronautical engineers provide to aerospace systems, in particular, and the science and engineering field overall.
In addition to space vehicles, astronautical engineering experts are also commonly involved in the manufacture or design of satellites, space capsules, planetary probes, missiles and rockets. These are highly technical pieces of machinery and require a deft understanding of control systems and core principles of physics, flight and mathematics. Many of these skills are taught in UC Riverside’s online core engineering curriculum, including Technology Innovation and Strategy for Engineers, Introduction to Systems Engineering as well as Engineering in the Global Environment.
Licensure for aerospace engineers is not as common as it is for other engineering occupations, nor it is required for entry-level positions. A Professional Engineering (PE) license, which allows for higher levels of leadership and independence, can be acquired later in ones career. Licensed engineers are called professional engineers (PEs). A PE can oversee the work of other engineers, sign off on projects, and provide services directly to the public. State licensure generally requires
- Aerodynamic engineers
- Aeronautical engineers
- Aircraft design engineers
- Aircraft designers
- Aircraft engineers
- Flight systems test engineers
- Flight test engineers
- Rocket engineers
- Wind tunnel engineers
Entry-level aerospace engineers usually need a bachelors degree. High school students interested in studying aerospace engineering should take courses in chemistry, physics, advanced math, and computer programming and computer languages.