Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Aerospace engineering is the engineering of flight, and involves the design and operation of planes and space vehicles. It draws on the expertise of various branches of engineering and science and produces some of the most complex and technologically advanced vehicles ever conceived, such as spacecraft and the rovers used on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. The field is central to many aspects of global communications and monitoring day to day through the vast array of satellites that orbit the Earth. This Very Short Introduction provides an overview of the concepts involved in the creation of systems that fly. Among the topics discussed are aerodynamics, aircraft structures and materials, aircraft propulsion, flight mechanics, and stability and control. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

John Baker is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Alabama. He has served on a NASA-sponsored aerospace advocacy group that seeks to explain the importance of the field to the general public and inspire the next generation of aerospace engineering students.