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Henry
Student
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what are chances of working on a large rocket part versus a small rocket part.
I like space and rocket building. I find building stuff to be interesting. #space #engineering
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Joseph Neilson
Radiation Detection Physicist
193
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England, England
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Joseph’s Answer
Interesting question. It will depend on what field of engineering you're best at and what exact role you end up getting into. Generally, there's a lot more small parts than large parts, and the small parts tend to be more complex and need more time designing and qualifying, so simply on that basis, you're statistically much more likely to be tasked with working on a smaller subassembly.
However, it will be biased a lot by what discipline of engineering you specialize in. Obviously if you find your talents lie in something like hydraulics or fluid mechanics, you're more likely to be working on some of the smaller components of the piping and engines, whereas if you specialize in aerodynamics or large scale material properties, you're more likely to be working on the larger parts.
However, it will be biased a lot by what discipline of engineering you specialize in. Obviously if you find your talents lie in something like hydraulics or fluid mechanics, you're more likely to be working on some of the smaller components of the piping and engines, whereas if you specialize in aerodynamics or large scale material properties, you're more likely to be working on the larger parts.
Thank you!
Henry
This is a great answer, Joseph! Thanks for contributing 😄
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Alexander Morgan
Aerospace Engineer
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California, Maryland
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Alexander’s Answer
In the aerospace engineering industry, it is common to work on a team comprised of Systems Engineers and Engineering Specialists. Engineering Specialists are also referred to as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) or Technical Area Experts (TAEs). Engineering Specialists have the most intimate knowledge of their component or subsystem (many even design them). However, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn about the world of Systems Engineering, as these types of engineers also get to work on small and large aircraft and spacecraft components as well.
Systems Engineers tend to be the “jack-of-all-trades”, as they see the big picture on how all the components of a spacecraft or aircraft need to come together. They are not an expert in any one area, but rather have a general knowledge of all components of an aircraft or spacecraft program, whether those are the physical components of the vehicle itself or the logistical components of balancing cost and schedule demands of the vehicle’s overall design program.
Systems Engineers tend to be the “jack-of-all-trades”, as they see the big picture on how all the components of a spacecraft or aircraft need to come together. They are not an expert in any one area, but rather have a general knowledge of all components of an aircraft or spacecraft program, whether those are the physical components of the vehicle itself or the logistical components of balancing cost and schedule demands of the vehicle’s overall design program.