Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is similar, but deals with the electronics side of aerospace engineering.“Aeronautical engineering” was the original term for the field. As flight technology advanced to include vehicles operating in outer space, the broader term “aerospace engineering” has come into use. Aerospace engineering, particularly the astronautics branch, is often colloquially referred to as “rocket science”.Flight vehicles are subjected to demanding conditions such as those caused by changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature, with structural loads applied upon vehicle components. Consequently, they are usually the products of various technological and engineering disciplines including [aerodynamics], [Air propulsion], avionics, materials science, structural analysis and manufacturing. The interaction between these technologies is known as aerospace engineering. Because of the complexity and number of disciplines involved, aerospace engineering is carried out by teams of engineers, each having their own specialized area of expertise. Acoustics - The science of waves, subcategories include acoustic propagation, biomedical acoustics and nonlinear acousticsDesign methodology - Topics that pertain to design and creation, including critical thinking methods, sustainability and articulation. Distillation - The process of purification of liquidsFields, waves & electromagnetics - The relationship between magnetic and electrical fields that provides the foundational theory of electrical engineeringInstrumentation - Topics relating to devices used for measurement, such as oscilloscopes and probesKinetics & catalysis - Various topics of energy related to applications in physics and chemistryLasers, lighting & electrooptics - Topics relating to electric lighting, lasers and photonicsMathematics - Mathematics such as calculus, algebra, and numerical analysis are all essential components of engineeringMeasurement - Related to instrumentation, measurements of various quantities has many real world applicationsMixing - The combination of multiple materials to form a homogeneous solutionParticle technology & fluidization - Sciences dealing with particulates and fluidsProcess development - Disciplines related to the optimization of various engineering and scientific processesReaction engineering - Chemistry related topics dealing with the engineering of various reactionsReliability - The ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of timeScientific disciplines - Various non-engineering scientific disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology and astronomySeparations - Topics in chemistry related to the separation of materials into distinct substancesSystems engineering and theory - An interdisciplinary method to engineering which has practical uses in complex projects which span multiple fieldsThermodynamics - a physical science that studies that effects on material bodies of transfer of heat and workTransport and fluid mechanics - Topics concerning the mass and energy exchange between systems
