The belief that there are places to go and things to do someplace other than Terra Firma, coupled with the desire to build the nifty devices which allow this sort of navigation. aerospace engineering still has the coolest toys.

A type of engineering dealing with the mechanical aspects of airplanes, spacecraft, and related machines. Aerospace engineers have the background to become decent mechanical engineers if the need arises. The job market for aerospace engineers has been dwindling recently due to the end of the Cold War.