Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is similar, but deals with the electronics side of aerospace engineering.

"Aeronautical engineering" was the original term for the field. As flight technology advanced to include vehicles operating in outer space, the broader term "aerospace engineering" has come into common use.  Aerospace engineering, particularly the astronautics branch, is often colloquially referred to as "rocket science".

Aerospace engineers design spacecraft, aircraft, and other flying equipment to meet particular specifications and quality standards. These professionals may become experts in one or several different fields, such as control systems, materials, thermodynamics, or flight mechanics.