:
This article is about the field of research and industry; for the corporation, see The Aerospace CorporationAerospace comprises the
atmosphere of Earth and surrounding
space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through
air and
space. Aerospace is a very diverse field, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications.
Aerospace is not the same as
airspace, which is a term used to describe the physical air space directly above a location on the ground.
Overview
In most industrial countries, the aerospace industry is a cooperation of public and private industries. For example, several countries have a
space program under the command of the
government, such as
NASA in the
United States,
ESA in
Europe, the
Canadian Space Agency in
Canada,
Indian Space Research Organisation in
India,
RKA in
Russia,
China National Space Administration in
China,
SUPARCO in
Pakistan, and
Iranian Space Agency in
Iran.
Along with these public space programs, many companies produce technical tools and components such as
spaceships and
satellites. Some known companies involved in space programs include
Boeing,
EADS,
Lockheed Martin,
MacDonald Dettwiler and
Northrop Grumman. These companies are also involved in other areas of aerospace such as the construction of
aircraft.
History
The field of aerospace has been investigated for millennia, but modern aerospace began with the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on
December 17,
1903, by the
Wright brothers. From there, aerospace has grown to be one of the most exciting, diverse, and fast paced fields of today. From the
hot-air balloons of 18th century to the first wood-and-cloth plane of Wilbur and Orville Wright to the first manned mission to the moon on
Apollo 11 to the new and exciting aircraft being developed by companies like Boeing,
Airbus, and
Bombardier.
Manufacturing
Aerospace manufacturing is a high technology industry that produces "aircraft, guided missiles, space vehicles, aircraft engines, propulsion units, and related parts". Most of the industry is geared toward governmental work. For each
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), the US government has assigned a
CAGE code. These codes help to identify each manufacturer, repair facilities, and other critical aftermarket vendors in the aerospace industry.
In the
European Union, aerospace companies such as
EADS,
BAE Systems,
Thales,
Dassault,
Saab and
Finmeccanica account for a large share of the global aerospace industry and research effort, with the
European Space Agency as one of the largest consumers of aerospace technology and products.
In the
People's Republic of China,
Beijing,
Xian,
Chengdu,
Shanghai,
Shenyang and
Nanchang are major research and manufacture centers of the aerospace industry. China has developed an extensive capability to design, test and produce military aircraft, missiles and space vehicles. Despite the cancellation in 1983 of the experimental
Shanghai Y-10, China is still developing its civil aerospace industry.
In
India,
Bangalore is a major center of the aerospace industry, where
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the
National Aerospace Laboratories and the
Indian Space Research Organisation are headquartered. The
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched India's first Moon orbiter,
Chandrayaan-1, in October 2008.
In
Russia, large aerospace companies like
Oboronprom and the
United Aircraft Building Corporation (encompassing
Mikoyan,
Sukhoi,
Ilyushin,
Tupolev,
Yakovlev, and
Irkut which includes
Beriev) are among the major global players in this industry. The historic
Soviet Union was also the home of a very major aerospace industry.
The
United Kingdom formerly attempted to maintain its own large aerospace industry, making its own
airliners, warplanes, etc., but it has largely turned its lot over to cooperative efforts with continental companies, and it has turned into a large import customer, too, from countries like the
United States. However, the UK has a very active aerospace sector supplying components, sub-assemblies and sub-systems to other manufacturers, both in Europe and all over the world, including the United States.
In the
United States of America, the
Department of Defense and the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are the two largest consumers of aerospace technology and products. Others include the very large
airline industry. The aerospace industry employed 472,000 wage and salary workers in 2006. Most of those jobs were in Washington state and in California, with
Missouri and
Texas also important. The leading aerospace manufacturers in the U.S. are
Boeing,
United Technologies Corporation, and
Lockheed Martin.
These manufacturers are facing an increasing labor shortage as skilled U.S. workers age and retire. Apprenticeship programs such as the work in collaboration with Washington state aerospace employers and community colleges to train new manufacturing employees to keep the industry supplied.
Important locations of the civilian aerospace industry worldwide include
Washington state (
Boeing),
California (
Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, etc.);
Montreal,
Canada (
Bombardier,
Pratt & Whitney Canada);
Toulouse,
France (
Airbus/
EADS); and
Hamburg,
Germany (
Airbus/
EADS); as well as
São José dos Campos, where the Brazilian
Embraer company is based.
Canada has formerly manufactured some of its own designs for jet warplanes, etc. (e.g. the
CF-100 fighter), but for some decades, it has relied on imports from the
United States to fill these needs. However Canada still manufactures some military planes although they are generally not combat or fighter planes.
France has continued to make its own warplanes for its air force and navy, and
Sweden continues to make its own warplanes for the Swedish Air Force—especially in support of its position as a
neutral country. (See
SAAB.) Other European countries either team up in making
fighters (such as the
Panavia Tornado and the
Eurofighter), or else to import them from the
United States.
Pakistan is also undertaking advancements in the field of aerospace engineering. It is now fulfilling its needs in the guided missile technology. After the establishment of the , Pakistan is looking to advance in space technology as well as aircraft design and manufacturing.
The
aircraft parts industry was born out of the sale of second-hand or used aircraft parts from the aerospace manufacture sector. Within the
United States there is a specific process that parts brokers or resellers must follow. This includes leveraging a certified repair station to
overhaul and "tag" a part. This certification guarantees that a part was repaired or overhauled to meet OEM specifications. Once a part is overhauled its value is determined from the supply and demand of the aerospace market. When an airline has an
aircraft on the ground, the part that the airline requires to get the plane back into service becomes invaluable. This can drive the market for specific parts. There are several online marketplaces that assist with the commodity selling of aircraft parts.
See also
