We often hear, a person of average or limited intelligence is sarcastically described as, ''no rocket scientist.'' The joke has been around for decades since the America public first became acquainted with NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in 1958. The newly formed government organization was a clear response to the Cold War, and when the USSR launched the first satellite (Sputnik) later that year, the space race began in earnest.

A few years later President John F. Kennedy declared in a famous speech to the American people that it was the goal of his administration to one day put a man on the moon. Needless to say, this bold initiative put quite a bit of pressure on NASA and its teams of aeronautical engineers.

What exactly is an aeronautical engineer?
An aeronautical engineer is a person who designs, develops, manufactures and adjusts civil and military aircrafts. These highly-trained professionals work in teams since the skills required to complete projects are so technical that they often call for a number of experts from different fields. The primary responsibilities of these teams include: producing designs, measuring and improving performance, problem solving, testing and technical research, writing reports as well as collecting and interpreting data.

It goes without saying that those with the aeronautical engineer careers work long hours and are often extremely-well compensated. The reasons for this are simple: it is a highly technical career that requires years of advanced education coupled with intellectual and creative abilities that are extremely hard to find. Those with engineering careers must also possess good communication skills and the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Employers often look for graduates with advanced degrees in any number of engineering disciplines including: electronics, software, mechanical and aerospace. A graduate can either apply to work for a company in the private sector such as Boeing or work for the Armed forces or the Civil Service. Due to the educational and intellectual requirements of the field, competition for entry level jobs tends to be quite low.

Aeronautical vs. Astronautical Engineer Careers

Simple definition of aerospace engineering is that it is the branch of engineering that deals with the design, construction and the science of air and spacecrafts. The field is broken down further into two main branches: astronautical and aeronautical engineering. Aeronautical engineering career focuses on craft that operates within the Earth’s atmosphere, which astronautical engineering is concerned with craft that operate outside of it. Astronautics, which literally means star sailor, is also known as rocket science.

A Short History of Aeronautics

It was only a few years after the Wright Brothers first achieved flight that aeronautical engineering became a legitimate field. The first aeronautical engineers designed military airplanes that were used by the United States in World War I. In fact, nothing advanced the field faster than the two World Wars. In only a short period of time, the military went from producing biplanes with propellers to jet planes that could beat the speed of sound.

In fact, it was jet propulsion technology that finally convinced aeronautical engineers that it might be possible to fly a rocket up and out of the Earth’s atmosphere. It took only twenty-two years from the time the first pilot (Chuck Yeager) broke the sound barrier that Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. This would not have been possible without jet propulsion technology or the thousands of dedicated aeronautical engineers who worked on these projects.

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