The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society (ARS), founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society (AIS), and the Institute of Aerospace Sciences (IAS), founded in 1932 as the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences.
The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council on the Aeronautical Sciences. As of 2004, the AIAA has more than 35,000 members. Despite its name, the society has members among aerospace professionals worldwide, although the majority are American and/or live in the United States. Some AIAA seminars and conventions are restricted to U.S. citizens, due to security issues.
The AIAA is split to seven regions, North-East, South-East, Central, South-Central, Mid-West, West, and International. The regions are subdivided into Sections, usually based in major cities. Universities with programs in aerospace engineering or related fields may form Student Branches, which are overseen and in part funded by their parent Section.
Another aspect of the AIAA is their standards writing activities. In the past, AIAA standards for aeronautics have been incorporated into broader standards and public laws. These standards help transition innovative aeronautical ideas to everyday usage.
The AIAA currently publishes several technical journals. The AIAA Journal is published on a monthly basis and serves as the flagship journal of the society. The other journals are published bi-monthly and have more specialized topics:
- Journal of Aerospace Computing, Information, and Communication
- Journal of Aircraft
- Journal of Energy
- Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics
- Journal of Hydronautics
- Journal of Propulsion and Power
- Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets
- Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer
A monthly general interest magazine called Aerospace America is sent to all members. The AIAA also produces several series of technical books ranging from education to progress in advanced research topics.
Read more about American Institute Of Aeronautics And Astronautics: The AIAA Foundation, Student Branches, Technical Committees, Honors and Awards, Other Awards, Conferences
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