Different Areas of Aerospace Technology

Aerospace is a broad term used to generally to collectively describe the space and atmosphere. The aerospace environment is extremely varied, having a myriad of military, commercial and research applications. Aerospace engineering includes astronautics and aeronautical systems.

Astronauts are part of the aerospace system. They are the representatives of space flight, and they fly in space to collect samples and perform experiments. Engineers design, build and maintain all the space vehicles, including shuttles, capsules, launches and landings. These engineers also develop various technologies for use in future space vehicles or to return samples to Earth from space.

Commercial aerospace is the term given to the commercial airline industry and the military. Commercial airline flights are seen in nearly every country on earth. Some countries have a presence only on commercial airlines, while many others see frequent all-time highs in both commercial and military aircraft sales. Military aircraft are used for surveillance, combat, and bombing missions. Many nations have an aerospace industry and rely on the United States for their aerospace needs.

Russia is the largest aerospace manufacturer in the world. In the 1950’s, the Soviet Union began producing its own aircraft and missiles. After the collapse of the communist regime in Eastern Europe, the Russian aerospace industry was left with no choice but to rely on foreign sources for its aircraft and missile components. A handful of nations now supply parts and components to the Russian aviation industry. Most of these nations are major exporters to the world.

The largest producer of commercial aerospace hardware in Europe is Europe Aircraft Industries. Europair Inc., based in Italy, is another major producer of commercial aircraft in Europe. Like Russia, Europe Aircraft Industries depends on foreign sources for its aircraft and missile parts. The company also manufactures a wide variety of ground control, avionics, engine, and safety equipment and services, as well as space systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and missile systems.

Russia is currently one of the leading suppliers of liquid rocket components to the international aerospace market. It is responsible for over 30% of all liquid rocket engine parts sold worldwide. Another significant source of Russian aerospace products is aerospace engineers from around the world. Many aerospace engineers receive their training in Russia and then attend flight school in the United States. Since most engineers who complete their training in the United States get hired by aerospace companies in Russia, many Americans have spent time traveling to Russia and other Soviet satellite countries to complete training as aerospace engineers. As a result, there are an increasing number of American aerospace engineers in Russia, and from these Russian aerospace engineers, many quality aerospace products are developed.

Astronautical engineering refers to the field of engineering, which includes controlling air crafts in flight, like airplanes, helicopters, rockets, and gliders. This is one of the areas of aerospace engineering, which has the largest potential for worldwide applications. NASA is one of the prime users of astronautical engineering. Many NASA astronauts are also aerospace engineers.

A relatively new field of aerospace industry, aerospace design is focused on using concept and model building to build aircraft and spacecraft. Part of the goal of this is to reduce the cost of launching a space vehicle. Although much less expensive to manufacture than constructing an aircraft from scratch, it can be quite difficult to achieve success due to design challenges. Many European based aerospace design companies are trying to overcome these challenges by imitating technologies that are already used in the aircraft industry, thus reducing costs and improving the chances for success. Many European-based companies that are active in the aerospace industry also sell parts and services to the U.S.