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• Aerodynamics - the study of fluid flow around objects such as wings or through objects such as wind tunnels (see also lift and aeronautics)
• Propulsion - the energy to move a vehicle through the air (or in outer space) is provided by internal combustion engines, jet engines, or rockets (see also propeller and Spacecraft Propulsion)
• Control or Flight Dynamics - the study of maneuvering vehicles to achieve the desired position and attitude (that is, which way the vehicle is pointing) (see also AstrodynamicsCelestial Mechanics Astrodynamics is the study and creation of orbits, especially those of artificial satellites. It uses the principles of Celestial Mechanics, which is the application of Newton's Laws of Motion and Law of Universal Gravitation to the de)
• Structures - design of the physical configuration of the craft to withstand the forces encountered during flight. Aerospace engineering aims very much at keeping structures lightweight.
• Materials - related to structures, aerospace engineering also studies the materials of which the aerospace structures are to be built. New materials with very specific properties are invented, or existing ones are modified to improve their performance.
• AeroelasticityAerospace engineering No aircraft structure is completely rigid, so when it is subjected to aerodynamic forces it will normally deflect by a small amount. This effect can become very important at high speeds because any change in the shape of the body can - the interaction of aerodynamic forces and structural flexibility, potentially causing flutter, divergence, etc

The basis of most of these elements lies in theoretical mathematicsMathematics is commonly defined as the study of patterns of structure, change, and space; more informally, one might say it is the study of "figures and numbers". In the formalist view, it is the investigation of axiomatically defined abstract structures, such as fluid dynamicsFluid dynamics is the study of fluids ( liquids and gases) in motion, and the effect of the fluid motion on fluid boundaries, such as solid containers or other fluids. Fluid dynamics is a branch of fluid mechanics, and has a number of subdisciplines, incl for aerodynamics or the equations of motion for flight dynamics. However, there is also a large empirical component. Historically, this empirical component was derived from testing of scale models and prototypes, either in wind tunnels or in the free atmosphere. More recently, advances in computingOriginally, the word computing was synonymous with counting and calculating, and a computer was a person who computes. Since the advent of the electronic computer, it has come to also mean the operation and usage of these machines, the electrical processe have enabled the use of computational fluid dynamicsFor " Contract For Difference," the financial derivative, see CFDs. For the Wikipedia categories for deletion administrative page, see an administrative page on the English Wikipedia. Fluid dynamics Computational fluid dynamics is the use of computers to to simulate the behavior of fluid, reducing time and expense spent on wind-tunnel testing.

Additionally, aerospace engineering addresses the integration of all components that constitute an aerospace vehicle (subsystems including power, communications, thermal control, life support, etc.) and its life cycle (design, temperature, pressure, radiation, velocity, life time...), leading to extraordinary challenges and solutions specific to the domain of aerospace systems engineering.