r/aerospace

Hi everyone,

I’m from Nepal and I recently finished my +2. My dream is to become an aeronautical/aerospace engineer, but I honestly feel confused about where to start. Nepal doesn’t seem to have many opportunities in this field, so I’m trying to understand the best path forward.

I’d really appreciate advice from people already studying or working in aerospace/aeronautical engineering. Which country or university would you recommend for someone from Nepal? Is it better to study mechanical engineering first and then specialize later? What skills should I start learning now?

I’m especially interested in scholarships, affordable universities, internships, and realistic career opportunities.

Any guidance, personal experiences, or mistakes to avoid would mean a lot. Thank you!

I was wondering if it would be feasible to dedicate one Airbus A380 to short sightseeing flights around major North American cities.

Idea:

• 1 to 2 hour flights that depart and return to the same airport
• No checked baggage and short flights, which would reduce weight and thus fuel
• Marketed as a bucket-list “fly on an A380” experience rather than transport

Many people want to fly on an A380 but never do because they do not travel on routes where it is used.

Is this at all viable economically and operationally, or would the costs still make it impractical even for an experience-focused operation?

https://preview.redd.it/jk14pke36b1h1.png?width=1684&format=png&auto=webp&s=08a92e3d8cd4e2ae57df5876532464dcf15cb1eb

We'll be here next Thursday 21st May, 3–5pm BST to answer your questions, with a focus on industrial and embedded use of Raspberry Pi.

Between the three of us we cover the full stack, so bring whatever you've got; board-level hardware questions, software and OS questions, the Compute Modules, RP2040/RP2350, real-time performance, interfacing with industrial protocols, or broader questions.

Post your questions now and we'll work through as many as we can on the day.

See you on the 21st.

— Eben, James & Gordon

Might not be the right sub but thought here has the biggest pool. OOS for all colleges. ERAU gives biggest ride. Targeting Aerospace. Which one should I go with.

Edit : focusing on career take off ; whom helps best with internships, connections and landing a job in relevant industry?

Would the labs and clubs be too crowded in CU and VT comparing Riddle?

Has anyone been hired recently at Boeing or Spirit Aerosystems recently? For entry level. I interviewed for them and i have some questions 🙏🏻

Hi everyone, I’m 16 studying at a diploma level and I need advice because I may make a very important decision for my life soon.

I originally applied for chemical and biomolecular engineering as the economic development board of my country Singapore, stated that they will focus on the semiconductor and renewable energy sectors in the future. However I never really liked chemistry, for my O levels, I got a B for it and C for Bio. I scored my only A grades in E math, A math and physics.

Math has been my favourite subject in the recent years. I’m currently one month into chemical and biomolecular engineering and I have the option to transfer to aerospace engineering. The future looks bright if I stay but I believe I’m much more passionate about math and physics.

I’m in a dilemma, should I work towards a growing job market or do something I enjoy more but is slightly more stagnant? I hope to find valuable insight from people familiar with the aerospace industry as I’m pretty stuck.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some honest advice and guidance regarding my job search in the aerospace industry in France.

I completed my Bachelor’s degree outside the EU and later came to France for my Master’s in Aerospace Engineering(structures and materials). I’ve now finished my Master’s, and I also have an intermediate level in French.

For the past ~7 months, I’ve been actively applying for jobs in aerospace companies in France. I’ve tried different CV formats, tailored applications, and applied consistently through job portals and company websites.

I’m facing the following situation:

• I sometimes get the first HR call or initial screening
• But after that, I rarely get any follow-up
• Even when I do get feedback, it’s usually something like: “We found a candidate with a better fit/experience for this role”
• Most of the time, I don’t even reach technical interviews

Honestly, I’m starting to feel confused about what I’m missing in the process.

I would really appreciate advice on:

1. Interview preparation (HR + technical): What do companies in French aerospace really expect in early HR rounds?
2. Job search strategy: Am I missing something in how I apply (CV, networking, internships, referrals, etc.)?
3. Entry into aerospace in France: Is it realistic to get in directly after Master’s, or is an internship/contract role more common first?
4. Language & integration: How important is French fluency beyond intermediate level for entry roles?

For context, I am mainly targeting aerospace structures/materials-related roles.

If anyone here has experience hiring or working in aerospace companies in France, your advice would really help me understand what I should change.

Thanks a lot in advance.

I’m an Aerospace Engineering student at Auburn University with a 3.7 GPA, undergraduate research experience, and multiple engineering projects, but I still haven’t been able to land an internship despite applying to countless positions, especially around Huntsville. I’ve revised my resume through workshops, networked, and cold-emailed professors for research opportunities, but I’ve only gotten 3 interviews throughout college. At this point I’m feeling pretty defeated and would appreciate advice on what I should do this summer to stay competitive or find any last-minute opportunities.

Hi All! I am going to be majoring in aerospace engineering student next year at umd. I need to get a new laptop and wondering what people recommend. Generally Mac or windows? Anything specific I need to know? Thanks!

I have 1 year of experience using AutoCAD in civil infrastructure, and I hold a B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering. Before pursuing a master’s degree, I want to build a strong foundation in design, aerodynamics, and marine engineering so I can decide which field to specialize in. I would also like to understand the basic concepts, required skills, and software commonly used in these industries before enrolling in a master’s program.

Any insight to this matter

How long prior to the internship do drug tests generally take place. I haven’t smoked in months, so I’m fine, but would like to know for future reference. I’m familiar with ITAR, but wanted to ask for experiences here.

Hey guys! I am having a really hard time deciding which offer to take for a summer internship. Both are local and similar pay. El Segundo location for both

Structural design and analysis intern at a small startup working on a payload deployment system that releases smaller satellites from a host spacecraft without using thrusters vs build reliability engineer intern at another startup building a NASA lunar rover.

Long term goal is rocket propulsion test or design. Which role sets me up better? I have previous internship experience in mechanical design, hardware test, and also have developed my own bipropellant liquid engine.

Thank you guys!

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to pick between two grad school options and would really value industry perspectives.

I’m finishing a B.S. in Physics (concentration in Applied Physics & Engineering) from UCR. I want to work in aerospace, ideally around propulsion/energy (renewable energy for propulsion applications — sustainable fuels, thermal/fluids, power/energy systems, controls).

My options:

Cal State LA — M.S. Mechanical Engineering (MSME)
- Looks like I can start the MS directly with no big deficiency list
- Likely finish in about 2 years
- ME electives include stuff like propulsion, aerodynamics, heat transfer, CFD, energy systems (from the catalog)

San Diego State — M.S. Aerospace Engineering (MSAE)
- Admitted conditionally and required to complete 9 undergrad aerospace courses (statics, dynamics, methods, fluids, low/high-speed aero + lab, propulsion, stability/control) by Spring 2027 while maintaining a 3.0
- Realistically feels like 3 years, maybe more depending on prereqs
- Yes the aerospace label is appealing, but the deficiency load worries me

Finances: I’ll likely need significant loans either way. I’m trying to avoid a decision that adds an extra year of debt if the industry outcome is similar.

Question: If the goal is getting into aerospace industry, is it smarter to:
- take the quicker/cleaner MSME route (and tailor electives/projects to aerospace), or
- take the MSAE route even if it realistically becomes 3 years?

If you’re in aerospace hiring / early career engineering: does “MSAE vs MSME” matter much compared to projects + internships? Any advice on making the ME degree clearly aerospace-aligned would help a lot.

Thank you!!

I am transferring from a small community college to the University of Michigan as a junior mechanical engineer. I'm hoping to get into my first internship next summer, but due to my time at this small school, I haven't participated in any big projects/research yet. Im not totally sure what I want to specialize in, deciding between GNC, robotics / AI controls, or more tech-heavy. What are some possible project ideas I can do this summer to have at least something on my resume? I will definitely participate once I transfer, but I want to start narrowing down my focus now.

Hello everyone,
I recently had a phone screening for an Entry-Level Electrical Engineer role at a defense aerospace company. It went really well, and the recruiter mentioned that the next step is an in-person interview where I'll need to give a technical presentation.
The panel will use this presentation as a foundation to ask questions about my engineering skills. They told me it could be *anything*—either a project I’ve already done or a brand new one I want to create before the interview. I'm expecting a callback in 1–2 weeks to schedule it.
I wanted to get some feedback from the engineering community here. What would be my best angle of attack?
**Option A:** Revisit, polish, and deeply document a major project from my university coursework (like a senior capstone, microcontroller lab, or digital logic project).

**Option B:** Build a brand-new, fast-turnaround project from scratch over the next two weeks using standard hardware (like an Arduino or FPGA dev board) specifically tailored to the job description (e.g., automated thermal/fan control, analog sensor filtering, or communication protocols).

If you’ve sat on interview panels before, what do you actually care about seeing? Would a quick 2-week project built on a breadboard look rushed, or does the rapid execution look impressive? Or am I safer sticking to a thorough, established school project that I can drill down into?
Appreciate any advice or project ideas you have!

I got an email for a cool position and was stoked as an entry level engineer to have the opportunity to speak with a recruiter.

It was scheduled for today, although I sat in the meeting room for 30 minutes and nobody came. I tried following up via email 15 minutes into the scheduled meeting, but never got a response.

Im gutted because this was scheduled earlier in the week and I was looking forward to it.

I had my second round interview last Thursday. I was wondering if anyone knows how long it takes for SpaceX to get back with a decision? Its been over a week now, so I was just curious.