What is Space Engineering?
Aerospace Engineers design, construct and operate aircraft, aerospace vehicles and propulsion systems. This includes planes, jets, helicopters, gliders, missiles and spacecraft. They are involved in researching, developing and testing new materials, engines, body shapes and structures that may increase the speed and strength of aircraft. They are also responsible for planning thorough maintenance programs for aircraft and exercising strict safety and environmental controls. Aerospace Engineers also use their knowledge of electrical, electronic and computer systems for automatic control and communication systems for the operation of aircraft.
Space engineering also encompasses cutting edge instrumentation and control systems for astronomy, particularly radio-astronomy where Australia, through the CSIRO, is a leading global player. Advances in antennas, extremely low-noise amplifiers, highly advanced receivers and filter systems, coupled to high speed/high volume computing (for signal processing and archiving) have enabled scientific discoveries reaching back 14 billion years to the beginnings of the universe. Closer to home, Australia's current capability includes spacecraft tracking support for NASA. Australia is poised to host the next big challenge in radio-astronomy, the Square Kilometre Array, a $2 billion project that will test the boundaries of space engineering cabability in terms of design and mass manufacture, across a number of technical domains.
Aeronautical Engineering deals specifically with flight vehicles such as airplanes and helicopters. Work in this field is still available, however it is being overtaken by aerospace engineering.
Aerospace Engineers may be responsible for investigating faulty engines or other components, and for developing repair systems. They may be involved in designing improved air conditioning or fuel systems for aircraft or ground based systems for operations such as flight control. They may prepare technical or commercial information when competing with other companies for the manufacture or supply of equipment.
The aerospace industry in Australia is changing from having an introspective defence dependent focus to a more export-oriented outlook. Opportunities now exist for research and development into composite material and manufacturing techniques, exploring how products are made. Many aircraft components are now made from advanced composite materials, such as carbon fibre reinforced plastics.
There are three main areas of work in the aerospace industry; design and manufacture, research and development and airworthiness operations. A new graduate engineer may be involved with one aspect of a project such as calculating the type and weight of material to go into a component. Senior engineers may be in charge of coordinating a whole project, giving other engineers, technicians and draftspersons different tasks to complete, and ensuring that the project meets budget.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority employs Aeronautical Engineers whose main task is to ensure that Australian aircraft are airworthy. This covers the certification of aircraft and involves the assessment of manufacturers' data from within Australia and overseas. They may have to assess mechanical systems, flight characteristics and aircraft performance. This may be done by test flights, measuring take off distances, rate of climb, stall speeds, maneuverability and landing capacities and comparing results with safety standards.
Aerospace Engineers may also work for commercial airline companies, aerospace manufacturers, government defence departments and defence forces and in government research laboratories. The Australian aerospace industry is very small and many graduates find their advanced technological skills are transferable to work in related fields. One such example is the automotive industry which occasionally advertises for Aerospace Engineers.
