Aerospace

What is it?

Aerospace refers to the industry that is geared towards the research, design, manufacture, maintenance, and operation of vehicles that are designed to move through space, as well as high-atmosphere work.  Aerospace employees work in a variety of disciplines, including engineering, programming, physics and math, and design.

How is IT involved?

Aerospace is an extremely high-technology industry, that relies on the very latest in cutting edge computers, robots, manufacturing techniques and bleeding edge science.  To do their job effectively, Aerospace employees use powerful computers to perform calculations and design work, as well as testing, and do much of their own software design work in house.

Where can I see it?

The fruits of the Aerospace industry are evident whenever you read a story about research on Mars, or the moon, or the history of our planet in a Universal context.  Aerospace employees do everything from design work on Shuttles, and conceptual work on flight, launches and recovery procedures, to becoming Astronauts to do research work in environments not native to Earth's atmosphere.

An excellent example of Aerospace work is the Canadarm, and its' use and evolution throughout the Canadian and American space programs.  The Canadarm was designed to operate attached to a shuttle, manipulating payloads from their storage and releasing them without the need for EVA work.  There are several Canadarm marks in service at the moment, each a result of the refinement or changing of the original design for the Canadarm back in 1981.

How can I be a part of it?

Aerospace employees have a strong background in math, physics, design and they usually have excellent organizational skills.  The Aerospace industry also emphasizes and supports a wide variety of science work in an Extra-Atmospheric environment, so a background and interest in Biology and Chemistry are well-recommended.   If you enjoy space and its' mysteries, you will enjoy working in the Aeronautics industry.

What else might I like?

Aerospace is very closely related to Aeronautics, Physics, and works very closely with Application Programmers, And System Analysts.

Where can I find out more?

Wikipiedia:  Aerospace

Canadian Space Agency

Aerospace Industries Association of Canada