What Transferable Skills Do Aerospace Engineers Bring to Other Fields?

[ramzerimar]

I would like to know what are some transferable skills a mechanical engineer working in the aerospace industry for some years could bring to other engineering areas (like renewable energies, oil and gas, structures, manufacture...).
Preferably, areas of expertise in the field of fluid dynamics, heat transfer... A aerospace engineer might have good engineering skills in fields like aerodynamics and all the science involved involved with propulsion. What are some other areas where those could be applied?

 

[hypotheticist]

Without inside expertise, I would say that thermodynamics (heat transfer) is perhaps the single most relevant expertise you may have. Aerospace engineering is an umbrella term for multiple disciplines, all of which are limited (in efficiency) by the laws of thermodynamics. Mechanical engineering is an integral part of propulsion for example. Increased efficiency in the takeoff and landing phases of flight are a high priority. In spaceflight applications, there's a lot of problems that a mechanical engineer could tackle, all of which revolve around efficiency- the most notable of which are more efficient/ sustainable habs and life support systems. The problem of resources having weight (therefore adding to energy expenditure) is a constant in spaceflight applications, and the engineer who could come up with integrated systems to reduce waste or lightweight, efficient generators that could be powered by astronauts to extend the electrical life of mission equipment would be well met. Not sure if that helps at all.