Aerospace Engineer Glossary
Aerospace Engineer Glossary
This glossary is for people who are looking to learn new vocabulary about aerospace engineer. Aerospace engineers is a field of study focused on the design, development and operation of aircraft and spacecraft. Find and understand new terms for the future or for your university projects.
- Aerodynamic
- noun
- Having a shape which reduces the drag from air moving past.
- Example: Their egg shape allows them to be aerodynamic.
- en: Aérodynamique
- Aerospace
- noun
- The branch of technology and industry concerned with both aviation and space flight.
- Example: Aerospace manufacturing is a high-technology industry that produces aircraft, guided missiles, space vehicles, aircraft engines, propulsion units, and related parts.
- en: aérospatial
- Aircraft
- noun
- An airplane, helicopter, or other machine capable of flight.
- Example: This research is focused upon looking at both ways to solve turbulence in situations where it is undesirable, such as an aircraft in flight.
- en: aéronef
- Altitude
- noun
- The height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level.
- Example: Nepal's capital is Kathmandu, which is located in a valley at a 1'310 m altitude and has a population of 1.5 millions (NTB, 2006).
- en: altitude
- Atmosphere
- noun
- The envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.
- Example: Part of the sun's energy is absorbed by the earth's atmosphere.
- en: atmosphère
- Avionic
- noun
- Avionics are the electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites, and spacecraft.
- Example: Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to perform individual functions.
- en: avionique
- Comet
- noun
- A celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a “tail” of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun.
- Example: When passing in the proximity of the sun, the intense heating experienced by the comet causes the ice to evaporate allowing streams of gas and debris that fall away from the frozen core giving rise to the well-known comet tails.
- en: comète
- Components
- noun
- A part or element of a larger whole, especially a part of a machine or vehicle.
- Example: Fire protection systems are seen as essential components of security systems.
- en: composantes
- Drone
- noun
- A remote-controlled pilotless aircraft or missile.
- Example: His new remote-controlled drone is equipped with a camera to capture stunning, aerial footage.
- en: drone
- Engine
- noun
- A machine with moving parts that converts power into motion.
- Example: He pulled the truck into the yard, shut off the engine and removed the keys from the ignition.
- en: moteur
- Landing gear
- noun
- The undercarriage of an aircraft, including the wheels or pontoons on which it rests while not in the air.
- Example: The aircraft uses its landing gears when it is not flying, allowing it to take off, land, and taxi without damage.
- en: train d'atterrissage
- Landmark
- noun
- An object or feature of a landscape or town that is easily seen and recognized from a distance, especially one that enables someone to establish their location.
- Example: The Doppler Effect Slipher's discovery was the first landmark observation that distant galaxies are moving rapidly away from us wherever you look, ie the universe is expanding.
- en: point de repère
- NASA
- noun
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the federal agency that institutes and administers the civilian programs of the U.S. government that deal with aeronautical research and the development of launch vehicles and spacecraft.
- Example: NASA has conducted many uncrewed and crewed spaceflight programs throughout its history.
- en: NASA; L'administration nationale de l'aéronautique et de l'espace
- Orbit
- noun
- The curved path of a celestial object or spacecraft around a star, planet, or moon, especially a periodic elliptical revolution.
- Example: Today, several hundred satellites orbit the earth, and satellite links provide all forms of communication and related services such as telephony, data, TV, navigation, meteorology, and surveillance.
- en: orbite
- Patent
- noun
- A patent is the granting of a property right by a sovereign authority to an inventor.
- Example: The interests of the company should be protected by getting a patent.
- en: brevet
- Propeller
- noun
- A mechanical device for propelling a boat or aircraft, consisting of a revolving shaft with two or more broad, angled blades attached to it.
- Example: The boat couldn't go forward because both of his propellers were broken, so they had to call back-up.
- en: hélice
- Prototype
- noun
- A first, typical or preliminary model of something, especially a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied.
- Example: Although only at a prototype stage, I have full confidence in NASA to have completed the design and testing ready for probe launch in around 2010.
- en: prototype
- Satellite
- noun
- An artificial body placed in orbit around the earth or moon or another planet in order to collect information or for communication.
- Example: You could use an earth-orbiting satellite to transmit communications signals and to take pictures form outer space.
- en: satellite
- Shuttle
- noun
- A rocket-launched spacecraft, able to land like an unpowered aircraft, used to make repeated journeys between the earth and earth orbit.
- Example: The space shuttle has landed safely back on Earth.
- en: navette
- Spacecraft
- noun
- A vehicle used for traveling in space.
- Example: However, because that mission was only really designed to visit Jupiter and Saturn, not a great deal of thought was given to the eventual encounters of the outer planets Uranus and Neptune, and therefore the spacecraft had to gather as much information as possible before it flew past on its way to the edge of the Solar System.
- en: vaisseau spatial
- Velocity
- noun
- The speed of something in a given direction.
- Example: Even if the particles were orbiting they should still emit radiation as they change velocity.
- en: vélocité
