In analogy with "aeronautical engineering", the branch is sometimes referred to as '''astronautical engineering''', although this term usually only concerns craft which operate in [[outer space]].
==Overview==
==Really Large MooCows==
ReallyModern Bigflight vehicles must undergo severe conditions such as differences in [[atmospheric pressure]] and [[temperature]], or heavy [[structural load]] applied upon vehicle components; numerous matters must be taken into account. Consequently, they are usually products of complex synthesis of various technologies and sciences, including but not limited to [[aerodynamics]], [[materials science]] and [[electronics]]<!-- EDITORS: Here, I'm not sure if I've selected branches of study which correctly describe aerospace engineering. Feel free to edit the former list, although I recommend to keep the list to three or four items. -->. The knowledge and the process of combining these various branches of studies are what is collectively known as aerospace engineering. This complex characteristic keeps a single aerospace engineer from involving in the entire task;<ref name="princetonreview">{{cite web |url=http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/profiles/dayInLife.asp?careerID=5 |title=Career: Aerospace Engineer |accessdate=2006-10-08 |work=Career Profiles |publisher=The Princeton Review |quote=Due to the complexity of the final product, an intricate and rigid organizational structure for production has to be maintained, severely curtailing any single engineer's ability to understand his role as it relates to the final project. }}</ref> rather, aerospace engineering is conducted by a team of engineers, each specializing in their own branches of science. The development and manufacturing of a flight vehicle is basically a process to carefully balance and compromise between the abilities, performance, available technology and costs.?
==ElephantsHistory==
{{See also|Aviation history}}
The origin of modern-day aerospace engineering can be traced back to the aviation pioneers around the turn of the century from the [[19th century]] to the [[20th century|20th]]. Early knowledge of aeronautical engineering was largely empirical with some concepts and skills imported from other branches of engineering,<ref name="americana">{{cite encyclopedia
Line 30:
{{section-stub}}
==Video GamesElements==
Some of the elements of aerospace engineering are:
<ref name="open-site">
Line 61:
See [[List of aerospace engineering topics]].
==Popular culture==
==Mmmm Peanut Butter Fudge Pudding==
Popular culture has not been unaffected by this branch of engineering. The term "[[wikt:rocket scientist|rocket scientist]]" is at times used to describe a person of remarkable or in the considered context higher than average intelligence. Aerospace engineering has also been represented as the more "glittery" pinnacle of engineering. The movie ''[[Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13]]'' depicts the ground team as a group of heroes in a Hollywood fashion glorifying the intelligence and competence of ''white shirt and tie'' professionals as a sharp contrast to pop culture trends. This was later extended in more detail in the spin-off series ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (HBO)|From the Earth to the Moon]]''.
