Topics

Aerospace

Aerospace engineers are behind some of the most awe-inspiring feats of mankind. That's space and terrestrial flight – of course – but also the equipment that makes weather forecasts, mobile phones and TV broadcasts possible.

Series

Quick read

  • Aerospace
  • Design & manufacturing
  • Technology & robotics
  • Innovation Watch

How AI can help 3D print perfect plane parts

Finding and correcting 3D printing errors is especially tough in the aerospace sector: a part with even a 300-micron defect could be catastrophic.
A NASA satellite floating in space, with the Moon visible behind it.
  • Aerospace
  • Electricals & electronics
  • Issue 95

Lift-off for the UK's space industry

The UK has an impressive history in space and a now-thriving space sector, with three new spaceports on the way.

Quick read

  • Aerospace
  • How I got here

How I got here – Darrel Njogu

A passion for aviation led engineering student Darrel Njogu to pursue a career as an aerospace engineer, combining it with his love for science. Having spent a year on placement with BAE Systems, he plans to return to the company when he graduates later this year.
A black and white photograph of a young man sitting in a helicopter.
  • Aerospace
  • Mechanical
  • Profiles
  • Issue 92

The helicopter flight fixer

When Philip Dunford FREng started his career, flight test engineers flew alongside pilots. As his career progressed, flying time gave way to developing new aircraft.
To represent the importance of time to the economy, a hand holding a coin with a clock face is moving to insert it into a slot.
  • Aerospace
  • Electricals & electronics
  • Technology & robotics
  • Issue 92

Why microseconds matter

Time’s time to shine: why is ultra-precise time so important for everything from bank transactions to public transport? The NPL’s Dr Leon Lobo explains all.

Quick read

An engineer standing in a manufacturing facility.
  • Design & manufacturing
  • Aerospace
  • How I got here
  • Issue 90

Q&A: Kate Todd-Davis

Apprentice Kate Todd-Davis followed her passion for aerospace and automotive engineering to Rolls-Royce – and gained a degree in manufacturing technology from the University of Sheffield along the way.
  • Aerospace
  • Electricals & electronics
  • Software & computer science
  • Issue 90

Supercharging GPS precision

With the help of startup FocalPoint (headed up by ‘the real-life Q’), we examine the past, present and near-future of this integral technology.

  • Aerospace
  • Electricals & electronics
  • Issue 88

Why a 1960s technology is at the frontier of space exploration

In February 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars, fitted with a suite of seven instruments designed to search for signs of past and present life. Tereza Pultarova spoke to Paul Jerram, Chief Engineer at Teledyne e2v, about the CCD technology at the heart of two of these cutting-edge scientific devices.