You seem to have javascript disabled. Please note that many of the page functionalities won't work as expected without javascript enabled.

Search for Articles:

Title / Keyword

Author / Affiliation / Email

Journal

Article Type

Advanced Search

Section

Special Issue

Volume

Issue

Number

Page

Logical OperatorOperator

Search Text

Search Type

Modular COTS-Based PCDU for Small Satellites
Towards an Automated Preliminary Safety Assessment via Scaled Flight Testing
Further Development of a Low-Energy Arc-Ignition System for Nytrox/ABS Hybrid Propulsion Systems
A Portable, Compact, and Fault-Tolerant Processor for Spaceflight Applications
Digital Transformation in Aircraft Design and Certification: Ontology Design Patterns for Modeling Regulatory Guidance Material Documentation

Journal Description

Aerospace

Aerospace is a peer-reviewed, open access journal of aeronautics and astronautics, published monthly online by MDPI. The European Aerospace Science Network (EASN) and ECATS International Association are affiliated with Aerospace and their members receive a discount on the article processing charges.

Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
High Visibility: indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), Inspec, Ei Compendex, and other databases.
Journal Rank: JCR - Q2 (Engineering, Aerospace) / CiteScore - Q2 (Aerospace Engineering)
Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 18.5 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 2.7 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the first half of 2026).
Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Companion journal: Astronautics
Journal Cluster of Mechanical Manufacturing and Automation Control: Aerospace, Automation, Drones, Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, Machines, Robotics and Technologies.

Impact Factor: 2.5 (2025); 5-Year Impact Factor: 2.7 (2025)

Imprint Information Journal Flyer Open Access ISSN: 2226-4310

Latest Articles

22 pages, 1139 KB

Open AccessArticle

Adaptive Fault-Tolerant Boundary Control of UAV Formations with Reliable Interior Sensing via a PDE Continuum Model

by Haoran Yue, Zhengjie Wang, Hao Chen and Qiyuan Cheng

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080720 - 12 Aug 2026

An adaptive fault-tolerant boundary controller is developed for large UAV leader–follower formations affected by leader actuator faults. The formation-error dynamics are modeled by a one-dimensional parabolic PDE with reaction and convection terms, with the leader represented as the actuated boundary. The faulty boundary [...] Read more.

An adaptive fault-tolerant boundary controller is developed for large UAV leader–follower formations affected by leader actuator faults. The formation-error dynamics are modeled by a one-dimensional parabolic PDE with reaction and convection terms, with the leader represented as the actuated boundary. The faulty boundary input contains an unknown loss of effectiveness and an unknown additive bias. The controller and estimator use a reliable interior UAV as the sensing node, avoiding leader-side measurements that may be compromised by faults on the leader platform. A filter-based input–output parameterization relates this interior measurement to the actuator efficiency, the bias fault, and an equivalent spatial residual kernel. Normalized projection-based adaptive laws estimate the unknown fault parameters and keep the efficiency estimate strictly positive. The stabilizing command is obtained from a PDE backstepping transformation, and estimation mismatch is treated as a boundary residual. The analysis proves closed-loop boundedness, ideal convergence under asymptotically exact fault compensation and boundary-relevant state reconstruction, and practical stability in the presence of residual modeling error, measurement noise, and input saturation. Simulations on a continuum PDE, finite-dimensional UAV chains, and a moving planar UAV formation confirm the recovery mechanism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Aeronautics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 7610 KB

Open AccessArticle

Robust Sensor Selection for Model-Based Aeroengine Diagnosis

by Ivan Blazquez, Luis Sanchez de Leon, Francisco Sastre and Angel Velazquez

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080719 - 12 Aug 2026

The present study addressed the problem of the robust selection of sensors and their actual location on the aeroengine for diagnosis purposes. The objective was to infer the health status of the engine components from the reading of the pressure and temperature sensors. [...] Read more.

The present study addressed the problem of the robust selection of sensors and their actual location on the aeroengine for diagnosis purposes. The objective was to infer the health status of the engine components from the reading of the pressure and temperature sensors. The method was model-based. Its development was illustrated via a direct application to the GE CF6-80 × 10¹ aeroengine. The novelty of the study lies in its methodological approach, namely, the use of a high-fidelity aeroengine model and a tensor-based algebraic formulation, rather than an AI-based method, for the inverse diagnosis problem. The baseline aeroengine model, formulated via the Proosis software, had nine inputs (eight health parameters plus one control parameter) and eleven outputs (thermodynamic cycle sensors’ readings). The model was used to generate an engine database in tensor form and a surrogate model which was the input for the diagnosis algorithm. The proposed methodology enabled the identification of sensors that are individually critical, as well as sensor subsets within which individual sensors can be removed without compromising the diagnostic accuracy. Another result was that, if the appropriate sensors were selected, the multi-point diagnosis could be used in situations with fewer sensors than health parameters. The global conclusion was that the proposed methodology could be used for generic aeroengines, even if, in the present study, it was illustrated by the application to a particular aeroengine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methods for Conceptual Design and Diagnosis of Aeronautic Propulsion Systems)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

36 pages, 13744 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spacecraft Orbital Maneuver Detection Using Adaptive Multi-Feature Criteria

by Shijie Zhai, Wenhua Cheng and Tinghua Zhang

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080718 - 12 Aug 2026

To address the unstable detection of weak orbital maneuvers from publicly available Two-Line Element (TLE) data affected by natural perturbations, orbit-determination errors, outliers, and irregular update intervals, an adaptive multi-feature maneuver-detection method is proposed. The method incorporates a dominant

J_{2}

perturbation correction [...] Read more.

To address the unstable detection of weak orbital maneuvers from publicly available Two-Line Element (TLE) data affected by natural perturbations, orbit-determination errors, outliers, and irregular update intervals, an adaptive multi-feature maneuver-detection method is proposed. The method incorporates a dominant

J_{2}

perturbation correction into the computation of the mean semimajor axis and combines semimajor-axis variation, eccentricity variation rate, and local dispersion of mean motion. A two-stage outlier-processing scheme, iterative background-noise estimation, and an adaptive switching mechanism based on the sampling interval are further introduced. Multi-object simulations for low- and high-altitude satellites show that the average detection accuracies for along-track maneuvers are 94.47% and 93.95%, respectively, while those for radial maneuvers are 92.83% and 93.26%, respectively. The proposed method demonstrates stable detection performance and good applicability across different orbital altitudes and maneuver directions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 10481 KB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Approach Procedures Based on OAS Constraints and BDSBAS Performance Evaluation

by Jinyu Wang, Shuaiyong Zheng, Yibo Zhou, Bo Shao and Xiao Liang

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 717; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080717 - 10 Aug 2026

Traditional Instrument Landing Systems (ILSs) suffer from inherent limitations, including limited signal coverage and high maintenance costs. To address these issues, we propose a novel approach procedure design method based on the BeiDou Satellite-Based Augmentation System (BDSBAS), which is particularly suitable for airports [...] Read more.

Traditional Instrument Landing Systems (ILSs) suffer from inherent limitations, including limited signal coverage and high maintenance costs. To address these issues, we propose a novel approach procedure design method based on the BeiDou Satellite-Based Augmentation System (BDSBAS), which is particularly suitable for airports with complex terrain conditions or no ground-based navigation infrastructure. In this method, a geometric constraint model of the approach trajectory is constructed in a local Cartesian coordinate system, and obstacle clearance performance is evaluated based on the Obstacle Assessment Surface (OAS) theory. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations and BDSBAS augmentation data are processed collaboratively to calculate aircraft position solutions, as well as the corresponding horizontal and vertical protection levels, enabling comprehensive evaluation of the navigation system’s accuracy, integrity, continuity, and availability. The feasibility and performance of the proposed method are verified through practical airport deployment and dynamic flight tests. Experimental results show that the 95th-percentile horizontal and vertical position errors reach 1.31 m and 4.17 m, respectively, and all valid observation epochs fully comply with the protection level and alert limit specifications. Compared with the conventional ILS-based scheme, the proposed method reduces the total OAS area and the missed-approach Z-surface area by 44.25% and 67.90%, respectively. The findings demonstrate that BDSBAS can effectively support approach procedure design and guarantee high-precision navigation performance, while significantly reducing the reliance on airport-specific ground navigation infrastructure. Full article

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

25 pages, 21648 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Funnel-Based Framework for Quantitative Safety Metric Construction and Safety-Metric-Driven Control Synthesis of Automatic Carrier Landing Systems

by Zhen Liu, Jianjun Luo, Yunzhao Liu and Weihua Ma

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 716; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080716 - 10 Aug 2026

Current research on Automatic Carrier Landing Systems (ACLSs) primarily focuses on guidance and control performance metrics. However, safety metrics that quantitatively characterize the safe region of ACLSs are equally crucial for guaranteeing safe landings, since safe and precise go-around decisions can only be [...] Read more.

Current research on Automatic Carrier Landing Systems (ACLSs) primarily focuses on guidance and control performance metrics. However, safety metrics that quantitatively characterize the safe region of ACLSs are equally crucial for guaranteeing safe landings, since safe and precise go-around decisions can only be made when the safe region is explicitly known. Therefore, this paper proposes a funnel-based framework that constructs quantitative safety metrics for making go-around decisions and quantitatively evaluating the safety of ACLSs. Additionally, safety-metric-driven control synthesis can be conducted to optimize controller parameters to maximize the safe region, i.e., to improve the safety of ACLSs. Specifically, the terminal landing requirements are formulated as a terminal set. Then, under the closed-loop dynamics with actuator saturation constraints and environmental disturbances, a funnel is constructed by sum-of-squares programming. Owing to its invariance property, all closed-loop trajectories starting inside the funnel converge to the terminal set, i.e., the terminal landing requirements are satisfied, and thus, the funnel serves as the safe region throughout the landing process. Furthermore, an online go-around decision rule is derived by checking whether the current state lies inside the offline-computed funnel. Simulation results validate the capability of the proposed framework to guarantee safe landings and further confirm its effectiveness under deck motion disturbance. Moreover, the funnel can serve as a larger safe region in the multi-dimensional state space than existing approaches based on a single state dimension, while constructing quantitative safety metrics for evaluating the safety of ACLSs. Finally, safety-metric-driven control synthesis demonstrates its ability to optimize controller parameters toward maximizing the safe region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Guidance and Control Systems of Aerospace Vehicles)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 20099 KB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Monotonic Efficiency of Leeward Propellers in Crosswind: Wake Ingestion Dynamics in Quadcopter Systems

by Haoyu Cheng, Dan Zhao, Xiran Liu and Jiaming Gao

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080715 - 10 Aug 2026

Small multirotor UAVs frequently operate in crosswind conditions, yet the aerodynamic interaction between windward and leeward propeller pairs remains incompletely understood. This study investigates the performance of a quadcopter propeller system under lateral crosswind using steady-state RANS simulations with the Transition SST turbulence [...] Read more.

Small multirotor UAVs frequently operate in crosswind conditions, yet the aerodynamic interaction between windward and leeward propeller pairs remains incompletely understood. This study investigates the performance of a quadcopter propeller system under lateral crosswind using steady-state RANS simulations with the Transition SST turbulence model, validated against wind tunnel measurements (thrust and torque deviations within

5.4 %

). A parametric matrix of five rotational speeds (8000–12,000 RPM) and six freestream velocities (0–10 m/s) is systematically examined. While thrust and power coefficients of all propellers increase monotonically with freestream velocity, the figure of merit (

F M

) of leeward propellers exhibits a previously unreported non-monotonic response: it decreases from hover, reaches a minimum near

6 m / s

, and partially recovers at higher velocities. Windward propellers show no such degradation. Our velocity contour and streamline analyses reveal that this behavior originates from windward wake ingestion into the leeward inflow region, which peaks at intermediate freestream velocities and is progressively alleviated as the stronger crosswind convects the wake downstream. The non-monotonic

F M

response is therefore a direct consequence of the competition between wake-induced inflow degradation and freestream-driven aerodynamic augmentation. Our findings provide a systematic aerodynamic dataset essential for crosswind attitude control and propulsion system design in multirotor UAVs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Thermal Fluid, Dynamics and Control (2nd Edition))

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 16252 KB

Open AccessArticle

Uniform and Stabilized Gallium Ion Emission from a Hybrid Multi-Emitter for FEEP Application

by Kyung Heon Kim, Dong Kee Sohn, Kyun Ho Lee, Jungwon Kuk and Han Seo Ko

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080714 - 9 Aug 2026

Since the thrust of a single-emitter Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) thruster is limited to 1–20 µN, a multi-emitter configuration is necessary to increase the thrust capacity. This study proposes a hybrid multi-emitter configuration designed to achieve uniform current distribution, enhanced thrust, and [...] Read more.

Since the thrust of a single-emitter Field Emission Electric Propulsion (FEEP) thruster is limited to 1–20 µN, a multi-emitter configuration is necessary to increase the thrust capacity. This study proposes a hybrid multi-emitter configuration designed to achieve uniform current distribution, enhanced thrust, and high efficiency. The design consists of linearly arrayed hybrid emitters, dummy emitters, and a slit extractor. Preliminary experiments investigated Taylor cone formation and ion emission characteristics. Capillary emitters exhibited pulse, oscillating, and continuous emission modes depending on the power supply method, whereas hybrid emitters exhibited only continuous emission with well-confined Taylor cone formation and consistent current–voltage characteristics. Key design requirements for the hybrid multi-emitter configuration include axially aligned electric field distribution and a large extractor hole diameter. The proposed configuration generates the required electric field distribution with the aid of dummy emitters, achieving uniform current emission across the emitter array. The calculated maximum thrust and emitter power-to-thrust ratio were 279.0 µN and 160.4 mW/µN, respectively, at an emitter current of 2.86 mA. These results demonstrate the potential of the proposed hybrid multi-emitter configuration as a scalable emitter architecture for FEEP thruster applications requiring uniform ion emission and increased thrust capacity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Propulsion: Advances and Challenges (4th Edition))

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 15890 KB

Open AccessArticle

Real-Time Coverage Path Planning for Fixed-Wing Aerial Robots Using Partial Gradient-Based MPC and Augmented Dubins Trajectories

by Mohammad Khaneghaei, Benyamin Ebrahimi, Davood Asadi, Onder Tutsoy, Seyed-Yaser Nabavi-Chashmi and Hassan Haghighi

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 713; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080713 - 9 Aug 2026

Coverage Path Planning (CPP) for fixed-wing aerial robots remains challenging in dynamic and partially unknown environments due to the need to simultaneously satisfy coverage completeness, kinematic feasibility, and real-time adaptability. Conventional approaches typically rely on pre-defined geometric patterns or simplified motion models, which [...] Read more.

Coverage Path Planning (CPP) for fixed-wing aerial robots remains challenging in dynamic and partially unknown environments due to the need to simultaneously satisfy coverage completeness, kinematic feasibility, and real-time adaptability. Conventional approaches typically rely on pre-defined geometric patterns or simplified motion models, which limit their effectiveness when encountering environmental disturbances or unforeseen obstacles. This paper presents a hybrid real-time CPP framework that integrates an offline coverage strategy with an online optimisation and control scheme. In the offline phase, a back-and-forth coverage pattern is generated based on the geometric properties of the region and sensor characteristics, ensuring full nominal coverage. During execution, this trajectory is adaptively refined using a Model Predictive Control (MPC) formulation augmented by a policy gradient-based update mechanism and an augmented Dubins path smoothing strategy. The MPC framework explicitly accounts for vehicle dynamics, actuator limitations, and obstacle avoidance constraints, while the policy gradient component improves the responsiveness of the optimisation process under rapidly changing conditions. The augmented Dubins formulation enables smooth and dynamically feasible transitions, allowing the vehicle to deviate from and reliably return to the nominal coverage path after disturbance or avoidance manoeuvres. Simulation results in cluttered environments with static and dynamic obstacles demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves improved tracking consistency and smoother trajectories, while maintaining real-time feasibility. Moreover, the proposed approach reduces the maximum computational burden by approximately 0.35 s compared to the conventionally utilized optimization algorithm. These results highlight the potential of the framework for practical deployment in fixed-wing aerial coverage missions operating in uncertain environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resilient and Intelligent Autonomous Flight: Dynamics, Guidance, and Control Systems)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1772 KB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Analysis of a Parachute-Suspended Bipyramidal Octahedral Corner Reflector

by Jing Wang, Shengliang Hu and Jianghu Xu

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080712 - 9 Aug 2026

The airborne corner reflector (ACR), a novel radar passive jamming device, has attracted increasing attention from researchers worldwide due to its enhanced interference coverage when suspended by a parachute. However, the directional nature of ACRs renders their effectiveness highly sensitive to in-flight attitude [...] Read more.

The airborne corner reflector (ACR), a novel radar passive jamming device, has attracted increasing attention from researchers worldwide due to its enhanced interference coverage when suspended by a parachute. However, the directional nature of ACRs renders their effectiveness highly sensitive to in-flight attitude dynamics. By analyzing the parachute body and the corner reflector separately, we propose an improved dynamic model to describe the parachute–payload system. Key innovations include the following: (i) by introducing an 11-degree-of-freedom model for motion analysis of the parachute-mounted double-pyramid octahedron structure, the issue of imprecise analysis in previous methods has been overcome; (ii) explicit modeling of tether tension and geometric constraints is undertaken to capture the parachute–payload coupling mechanism. Numerical simulations of the steady-descent phase demonstrate convergence of the payload’s angular rates and Euler angles, and the results show good agreement with full-scale flight test data. The model strikes a favorable balance between computational efficiency and physical fidelity, and is particularly suited for dynamic analysis of non-axisymmetric payloads in parachute descent systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Aeronautics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 6953 KB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Propulsion–Aerodynamics–Trajectory–Cost Design Optimization for High-Speed, Long-Range Rocket-Boosted Vehicles

by Jing Zhou, Wei Zhou, Peiyang Ma, Yulong Zhang, Shan Li and Qiuyan Wang

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 711; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080711 - 9 Aug 2026

To address the strong coupling among engine geometry, propulsion performance, aerodynamic response, flight trajectory, and manufacturing cost, this study establishes an integrated propulsion–aerodynamics–trajectory–cost design framework for high-speed, long-range rocket-boosted vehicles. Six chamber and nozzle geometric parameters are selected as design variables. An engine [...] Read more.

To address the strong coupling among engine geometry, propulsion performance, aerodynamic response, flight trajectory, and manufacturing cost, this study establishes an integrated propulsion–aerodynamics–trajectory–cost design framework for high-speed, long-range rocket-boosted vehicles. Six chamber and nozzle geometric parameters are selected as design variables. An engine performance model is first used to calculate propulsion responses, including thrust, chamber pressure, and specific impulse. A mass and configuration update model then transfers the effects of engine parameter variations to the overall vehicle characteristics, while aerodynamic data and a two-dimensional point-mass trajectory model are introduced to obtain mission-level indicators, including maximum velocity, maximum altitude, and range. An existing manufacturing cost decomposition model for solid rocket motors is extended by coupling the cost response with component masses, geometric dimensions, and parameter-update relationships, thereby enabling the simultaneous evaluation of mission performance and manufacturing cost within the integrated computational chain. Kriging surrogate models are constructed for rapid prediction of the coupled system responses, entropy-weighted TOPSIS is used to screen feasible candidates, and SQP is employed for continuous constrained refinement. Compared with the baseline design, the comprehensive evaluation index increases from 0.4861 to 0.6110. The maximum velocity, maximum altitude, and range increase by 8.29%, 26.81%, and 21.24%, respectively, while the manufacturing cost increases by only 0.48%. The evaluation index is also 15.68% higher than that of the engine-level optimized design. These results demonstrate that the integrated consideration of propulsion, aerodynamics, trajectory, and manufacturing cost improves mission-level performance–cost trade-offs and provides a system-level design approach for mission-oriented and cost-aware solid rocket motor development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Aeronautics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

42 pages, 1784 KB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Optimization Strategy for Time-Optimal Solar Sail Interplanetary Trajectories

by Guanwei He, Yuan Tan, Hao Yuan, Jie Wang and Zhaokui Wang

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080710 - 7 Aug 2026

Designing time-optimal trajectories for solar sail spacecraft is highly difficult due to the strong nonlinearity of the solar radiation pressure model, the attitude–orbit coupling, and the prevalence of local minima, which often lead to the failure of gradient-based solvers lacking adequate initial guesses. [...] Read more.

Designing time-optimal trajectories for solar sail spacecraft is highly difficult due to the strong nonlinearity of the solar radiation pressure model, the attitude–orbit coupling, and the prevalence of local minima, which often lead to the failure of gradient-based solvers lacking adequate initial guesses. To address this issue, the present study proposes a two-stage hybrid optimization framework: a coarse-search stage uses B-spline-parameterized metaheuristics to identify a dynamically feasible trajectory, which then serves as a physics-informed warm start for direct-collocation-based gradient refinement, strictly satisfying the full nonlinear dynamics and terminal constraints. The methodology is validated through three increasingly difficult space missions: a rendezvous between Earth and Mars (Case A), a near-Earth asteroid rendezvous considering non-ideal optical reflection (Case B), and a Solar Polar Orbiter mission necessitating an 82.75° inclination adjustment with a thermal safety constraint (Case C). Statistical evaluations reveal that no single metaheuristic dominates universally; each algorithm’s suitability is contingent on the problem’s constraint structure. The hybrid framework further shows a consistent advantage over stand-alone direct collocation: by redirecting the gradient solver toward favorable convergence basins, it locates transfer solutions that remain inaccessible from a cold start. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI-Enhanced Guidance, Navigation, and Control for High-Precision Space Missions)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 6518 KB

Open AccessArticle

Rockoon Launch Experiment with Azimuth Angle Control

by Tadayoshi Shoyama, Yutaka Wada and Shobu Oda

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 709; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080709 - 7 Aug 2026

Rockets were launched from a freely ascending balloon, and the attitude dynamics of the rockoon system were investigated. Compared with ground-based or aircraft-based launches, rockoons offer reduced aerodynamic drag and pressure losses, leading to higher maximum altitudes of sub-orbital trajectory and improved launch [...] Read more.

Rockets were launched from a freely ascending balloon, and the attitude dynamics of the rockoon system were investigated. Compared with ground-based or aircraft-based launches, rockoons offer reduced aerodynamic drag and pressure losses, leading to higher maximum altitudes of sub-orbital trajectory and improved launch capacity to earth orbits. To ensure trajectory accuracy and flight safety, an azimuth control system based on a control moment gyroscope (CMG) was implemented. The launcher, suspended beneath a helium balloon, was equipped with a CMG device for active azimuth control. Three model rocket launches were conducted, and attitude data were obtained using multiple accelerometers installed on the rocket and launcher. The results confirmed that azimuth control remained effective during free ascent, with the azimuth error at ignition within 7° of the target in all three launches. Oscillatory motion was observed in roll and yaw angles. It was identified as rotation about the launcher’s principal inertia axis, indicating no significant impact on the rocket’s flight trajectory. Additionally, pitch-up behavior during launch due to rail friction was observed, consistent with previous studies. Frequency analysis showed that a double-pendulum model reproduced the measured first-mode frequency within approximately 2%, while the measured second-mode frequencies were higher than the predictions, indicating an increase in the effective pendulum length due to the relaxed constraint of the balloon suspension. Under free-flight conditions, the first mode was no longer observed within the measurable frequency band, consistent with the removal of the ground constraint. These findings provide an experimental characterization of the attitude dynamics of rockoon launches with active azimuth control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 8198 KB

Open AccessArticle

3D Path Planning for UAVs Based on an Improved DOA

by Weiqi Feng, Hongyu Chen, Yujie Fu, Yong Yang and Kaijun Xu

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080708 - 7 Aug 2026

Three-dimensional (3D) path planning for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) presents a challenging multi-objective optimization problem that necessitates a balanced trade-off among path length, flight safety, and trajectory smoothness, especially in complex environments such as mountainous or hilly terrains. Traditional and even many meta-heuristic [...] Read more.

Three-dimensional (3D) path planning for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) presents a challenging multi-objective optimization problem that necessitates a balanced trade-off among path length, flight safety, and trajectory smoothness, especially in complex environments such as mountainous or hilly terrains. Traditional and even many meta-heuristic planning algorithms often suffer from premature convergence and suboptimal solution quality when navigating such intricate 3D spaces. To address these limitations, this paper proposes an Improved Dhole Optimization Algorithm (IDOA) that exhibits fast convergence and strong global optimization capabilities. The IDOA enhances the original DOA framework by integrating a logistic-map-based chaotic mapping, a dynamic chaotic perturbation mechanism, and an adaptive stage-division strategy. The algorithm is designed to address the 3D path planning problem for quadrotor UAVs, supporting typical flight maneuvers including climb/descent, obstacle avoidance, and smooth turning in simulated complex hilly terrain. A multi-objective fitness function incorporating path length, safety, and smoothness is designed, which constrains the optimization to generate collision-free, smooth paths that satisfy the quadrotor UAV’s dynamic maneuver constraints. Convergence curves confirm that IDOA significantly outperforms the original DOA in terms of convergence speed and final path optimality. Detailed experimental results show that compared to the original DOA, IDOA achieves a 6.31% improvement in minimum fitness values, a 9.7% reduction in average path length, and a 45.28% reduction in average path curvature when compared to the baseline DOA. These consistent performance improvements demonstrate that IDOA provides an effective and robust solution for offline pre-flight 3D path planning in complex terrain, offering valuable technical support for autonomous UAV navigation in practical application scenarios such as terrain surveying and disaster search and rescue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Aeronautics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 21519 KB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Response Characteristics of Spaceborne Electronic Equipment Considering Mounting Boundary Conditions

by Kyeong-Jae Lee and Hyun-Ung Oh

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080707 - 6 Aug 2026

In this study, the response characteristics of spaceborne electronic equipment under actual mounting boundary conditions were evaluated, and an equivalent contact stiffness-based modeling technique was proposed to compensate for the limitations of conventional boundary-condition-based analysis. Finite element analyses were performed for three configurations: [...] Read more.

In this study, the response characteristics of spaceborne electronic equipment under actual mounting boundary conditions were evaluated, and an equivalent contact stiffness-based modeling technique was proposed to compensate for the limitations of conventional boundary-condition-based analysis. Finite element analyses were performed for three configurations: an initial design, a structure with increased contact area, and a structure with added stiffeners. Random vibration tests were then conducted with accelerometers directly attached to the PCBs and housings under actual mounting conditions, and the results were compared with conventional analysis results. The conventional analysis overpredicted the actual responses for all configurations, showing discrepancies in response magnitude, housing bottom-surface behavior, and natural frequency distribution. These discrepancies were attributed to insufficient representation of the bottom-surface contact effect formed under actual mounting conditions. Therefore, an empirical equation for the equivalent contact stiffness was established by incorporating fastening force, effective contact area ratio, bottom-surface thickness, and effective span length, and implemented using CBUSH-element-based contact modeling. The proposed method improved the correlation between test and analysis results for all three configurations, demonstrating its applicability for reliable response prediction and overdesign reduction at the early design stage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 4220 KB

Open AccessArticle

STLC-Net: A Short-Window Temporal Latent-Consistency Network for ADS-B Trajectory Anomaly Detection

by Linfeng Zhong, Xianming Liu, Kaijun Xu and Weijun Pan

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 706; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080706 - 6 Aug 2026

Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) is a key source of air traffic surveillance data, but its open broadcast mechanism and possible trajectory-data inconsistencies may reduce surveillance reliability. This study proposes a Short-window Temporal Latent-Consistency Network (STLC-Net) for window-level anomaly detection in real-world ADS-B surveillance [...] Read more.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) is a key source of air traffic surveillance data, but its open broadcast mechanism and possible trajectory-data inconsistencies may reduce surveillance reliability. This study proposes a Short-window Temporal Latent-Consistency Network (STLC-Net) for window-level anomaly detection in real-world ADS-B surveillance data. Raw ADS-B messages are transformed into physically interpretable kinematic features and segmented into short sliding windows to capture local motion inconsistencies. STLC-Net combines LSTM-based temporal encoding with an encoder–decoder–encoder latent-consistency mechanism, and fuses reconstruction and latent-consistency discrepancies to produce anomaly scores. Experimental results show that STLC-Net achieves a PR-AUC of 0.952540, precision of 1.0, recall of 0.882682, and F1-score of 0.937685 under highly imbalanced conditions. Ablation studies further confirm the effectiveness of short-window representation, temporal modeling, and latent-consistency learning. These results indicate that STLC-Net provides an effective and physically interpretable framework for detecting rare kinematic anomalies in ADS-B trajectory surveillance data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Air Traffic and Transportation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 15412 KB

Open AccessArticle

Piecewise Nonsingular Practical Prescribed-Time Control for Three-Dimensional Skip-Trajectory Tracking of Hypersonic Glide Vehicles

by Shuai Yuan, Zhanpeng Gao and Wenjun Yi

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 705; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080705 - 6 Aug 2026

Three-dimensional skip-reentry trajectory tracking is challenging for hypersonic glide vehicles because of strong nonlinearity, pronounced state oscillations, model parameter uncertainty, and bank-angle constraints. This paper develops a trajectory-tracking control method based on the drag-acceleration profile and piecewise nonsingular practical prescribed-time control. A three-dimensional [...] Read more.

Three-dimensional skip-reentry trajectory tracking is challenging for hypersonic glide vehicles because of strong nonlinearity, pronounced state oscillations, model parameter uncertainty, and bank-angle constraints. This paper develops a trajectory-tracking control method based on the drag-acceleration profile and piecewise nonsingular practical prescribed-time control. A three-dimensional point-mass model that accounts for the Earth’s curvature and rotation is first used with predictor–corrector guidance to generate a reference skip trajectory considering process constraints and terminal requirements. The longitudinal bank-angle magnitude and the lateral bank-angle sign are then obtained separately. Taking the cosine of the bank angle as the control input, the drag-tracking error is formulated as a second-order control-affine system. The proposed controller uses an odd cubic polynomial extension to remove the derivative singularity of low-order fractional powers near the origin, and combines a dual-power reaching law in the prescribed-time phase with a linear hyperbolic-tangent holding law after that phase. Using Dini derivatives, a cited predefined-time Lyapunov criterion, and an explicit target-entry-time estimate, it is shown that the sliding variable and the drag-tracking error enter prescribed neighborhoods within an upper time bound independent of the initial condition; positive invariance of the neighborhoods, ultimate boundedness of the second-order error, and the discretization-error correction condition are also obtained. Simulations show that the proposed method improves drag-acceleration tracking accuracy under nominal conditions and constant parameter perturbations, while keeping the closed-loop states bounded and satisfying the bank-angle constraint under random parameter perturbations and initial measurement errors. The method provides a feasible route to configurable-time tracking control for constrained skip trajectories of hypersonic glide vehicles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Guidance and Control Systems of Aerospace Vehicles)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5701 KB

Open AccessArticle

Adaptive Method for Optical Tracking of Maneuvering Aerial Objects Under Limited Computational Resources

by Yurii Yukhymenko, Tomasz Rogalski and Nataliia Stelmakh

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080704 - 5 Aug 2026

This paper addresses the urgent scientific and applied problem of automatic tracking of highly maneuverable Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) using systems based on platforms with limited computing power (Edge Computing). The paper analyzes the shortcomings of classical correlation trackers and detectors based on [...] Read more.

This paper addresses the urgent scientific and applied problem of automatic tracking of highly maneuverable Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) using systems based on platforms with limited computing power (Edge Computing). The paper analyzes the shortcomings of classical correlation trackers and detectors based on deep neural networks when tracking targets with non-linear trajectories. A hybrid tracking method is proposed, combining the speed of a Kernelized Correlation Filter (KCF) and the accuracy of a neural network detector (YOLO11s). A key feature of the method is the developed algorithm for adaptive Kalman Filter correction, which utilizes a dynamic, scale-invariant Prediction Error metric as a trigger for motion anomaly detection. This allows the system to distinguish between measurement noise and sharp target maneuvers, executing an adaptive state reset using finite differences only at critical moments. Experimental validation on edge hardware (Raspberry Pi 5) using highly dynamic video sequences from the UAV123 and VisDrone datasets demonstrated that the proposed approach maintains an average processing speed of 18.89 FPS. By limiting deep neural network invocations to merely 2.71% of total frames, the algorithm successfully curtails thermal throttling while achieving a global Mean Root Square Error (RMSE) of 259.10 pixels across highly erratic trajectories. The method ensures high tracking reliability without a critical increase in computational load, making it highly suitable for use in autonomous embedded systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Flight Testing and Flight Data Analysis)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 3849 KB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Pigeon-Inspired Optimization-Based Active Disturbance Rejection Control for Carrier-Based Aircraft Landing Direct Lift Control

by Xiulin Zhang, Zhihao Zhang, Xiangyin Zhang and Jiaxing Wang

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080703 - 3 Aug 2026

Carrier-based aircraft landing is a critical element in generating aircraft carrier combat capability. Traditional landing control suffers from inherent drawbacks including strong trajectory–attitude coupling, high pilot workload, and insufficient disturbance rejection in complex environments. The MAGIC CARPET precision landing technology achieves decoupled manipulation [...] Read more.

Carrier-based aircraft landing is a critical element in generating aircraft carrier combat capability. Traditional landing control suffers from inherent drawbacks including strong trajectory–attitude coupling, high pilot workload, and insufficient disturbance rejection in complex environments. The MAGIC CARPET precision landing technology achieves decoupled manipulation via direct lift control, providing a feasible technical path to address these bottlenecks. However, existing schemes still have limitations in multi-channel dynamic decoupling performance and controller parameter tuning efficiency. This paper designs a three-channel (flap, stabilator, throttle) active disturbance rejection control landing system based on direct lift technology, with an adaptive decoupling module introduced to counteract the pitching moment coupling caused by flap deflection, so as to maintain stable attitude and velocity during trajectory adjustment. An enhanced pigeon-inspired optimization algorithm is proposed with full-process improvements in population initialization, global search operator and local search operator, and a global collaborative tuning scheme for controller parameters is constructed. Verified by multiple groups of comparative simulations and Monte Carlo statistical experiments, the proposed system outperforms comparative schemes in tracking accuracy, decoupling effect and disturbance suppression capability, and exhibits favorable robust stability under uncertain conditions. This study offers a useful reference for the design and practical implementation of direct-lift landing control systems for carrier-based aircraft. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue On-Board Systems Design for Aerospace Vehicles (3rd Edition))

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 6129 KB

Open AccessArticle

On-Orbit Performance Analysis of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on NCA System for MEO Satellites

by Chenjie Kong, Huan Liu, Baojun Lin, Shaoqian Li, Qiang Zhang and Shaohua Jia

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 702; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080702 - 3 Aug 2026

Faced with the complex space electromagnetic environment, the long solar illumination periods of medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) satellites, and the unique operating limitation under which the batteries operate under shallow charge–discharge cycles, this paper proposes a dedicated life evaluation method suitable for MEO satellite batteries. [...] Read more.

Faced with the complex space electromagnetic environment, the long solar illumination periods of medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) satellites, and the unique operating limitation under which the batteries operate under shallow charge–discharge cycles, this paper proposes a dedicated life evaluation method suitable for MEO satellite batteries. The proposed method quantifies battery performance degradation by analyzing the statistical correlation between the discharge capacity and discharge cut-off voltage during eclipse phases. Using seven years of on-orbit-measured data covering 14 eclipse seasons, we build prediction models for the cut-off voltage via Random Forest and XGBoost, with the eclipse season index and discharge capacity set as model input features. The mean squared error (MSE) of both models is lower than 0.003, demonstrating the high reliability of the modeling framework. Under the condition of a fixed discharge capacity, no obvious battery degradation exceeding the measurement uncertainty is detected within the observation period. The magnitude of potential voltage degradation is comparable to or even smaller than the 2 mV acquisition uncertainty, such that no measurable degradation phenomenon can be identified in the available dataset. At present, long-term on-orbit-measured data of MEO satellite batteries are scarce in engineering research. This study provides valuable full-measurement data support for the optimized design, autonomous on-orbit management, and life evaluation of NCA lithium-ion batteries and fills the gap in long-term on-orbit datasets for MEO satellite power systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 6007 KB

Open AccessArticle

Failure Effect Analysis of Oscillation Signal in the Active Sidestick System

by Xiaozhe Sun and Bowen Sun

Aerospace 2026, 13(8), 701; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13080701 - 1 Aug 2026

The electric loading function of the active sidestick system introduces new safety risks, making the failure effects of the system uncertain. To clarify the failure effect characteristics of uncommanded oscillation signals in the active sidestick system, fault mechanism analysis and fault injection simulations [...] Read more.

The electric loading function of the active sidestick system introduces new safety risks, making the failure effects of the system uncertain. To clarify the failure effect characteristics of uncommanded oscillation signals in the active sidestick system, fault mechanism analysis and fault injection simulations were conducted. For the standalone active sidestick system, oscillation faults with different injection locations, waveforms, amplitudes, and frequencies were investigated, and their effects were evaluated from three aspects: surplus force, active sidestick deflection angle, and loading motor speed. The results show that oscillation faults cause the active sidestick deflection angle to oscillate, with the response amplitude depending on the fault injection location and signal characteristics. In addition, the pilot response to the fault was incorporated into the active sidestick system. The results show that the influence of pilot response on oscillation faults exhibits significant frequency dependent characteristics. When the fault frequency is lower than approximately 0.72 Hz, the additional pilot control force reduces the aircraft pitch angle tracking error and suppresses the oscillation fault. When the fault frequency is higher than 0.72 Hz, the pilot response increases the aircraft pitch angle tracking error, and its effect changes from a counteracting action to an amplifying action. Based on the standalone active sidestick system simulated by the experimental setup, a sinusoidal oscillation fault injection experiment was conducted at the torque sensor output. The variation trends observed in the experimental results were generally consistent with the corresponding simulation results, thereby providing indirect validation of the fault injection simulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Aeronautics)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

More Articles...

Submit to Aerospace Review for Aerospace

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Highly Accessed Articles

View More...

Latest Books

More Books and Reprints...

E-Mail Alert

News

10 August 2026
Advancing Academic Publishing with MDPI: Gold-Tier Sponsorship of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Engineering Graduate Research Symposium (FEGRS) and Academic Publishing Workshop, 18 August 2026

5 August 2026
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO’s Letter #37 – Canada Summit, Sciforum Relaunch, 30 Years of Impactful Research & ISPRS 2026

8 July 2026
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in June 2026

More News & Announcements...

Topics

Propose a Topic

Topic in Aerospace, Applied Sciences, Catalysts, Energies, Modelling

Theoretical, Numerical and Experimental Studies on Clean Energy and Combustion, 2nd Edition Topic Editors: Pedro Miguel Rebelo Resende, Mohsen Ayoobi, Alexandre M. Afonso
Deadline: 30 September 2026

Topic in Aerospace, Applied Sciences, Astronautics, Coatings, J. Compos. Sci., JMMP, Materials, Polymers

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace Topic Editors: Richard E. Wirz, Chih-Hung (Alex) Chang, Tianyi Chen, Somayeh Pasebani, Dong Lin, Devin J. Roach, Jesse A. Rodriguez
Deadline: 31 October 2026

Topic in Aerospace, Applied Sciences, Drones, Electronics, Eng, Remote Sensing, Sensors

Unmanned Vehicles Technology and Embodied Intelligence Systems for Intelligent Transportation Topic Editors: Jian Chen, Min Xia, Hui Xie
Deadline: 20 November 2026

Topic in Aerospace, Applied Sciences, Data, Remote Sensing, Sensors, Universe

Techniques and Science Exploitations for Earth Observation and Planetary Exploration-2nd Edition Topic Editors: Yu Tao, Siting Xiong, Rui Song
Deadline: 30 November 2026

More Topics

Conferences

Propose a Conference Collaboration

11–13 November 2026 Drones 2026: Mapping the Knowledge

29 November–2 December 2026 7th International Conference of Thermal Fluid Dynamics and Control

More Conferences...

Special Issues

Propose a Special Issue

Special Issue in Aerospace

Aerospace Vehicle Optimization: Design Innovations, Thermal Management, and Practical Applications Guest Editor: Yu Xu
Deadline: 20 August 2026

Special Issue in Aerospace

Spacecraft Trajectory Design Guest Editors: Mingying Huo, Gang Zhang, Zichen Fan
Deadline: 30 August 2026

Special Issue in Aerospace

Advanced Aerospace Structures: Materials, Mechanics, and Intelligent Design Guest Editors: Heyuan Huang, Meiying Zhao
Deadline: 30 August 2026

Special Issue in Aerospace

Advances in Gas Turbine Heat Transfer and Cooling Technology Guest Editors: Yuting Jiang, Guoqiang Yue
Deadline: 31 August 2026

More Special Issues

Topical Collections

Topical Collection in Aerospace

Air Transportation—Operations and Management Collection Editors: Michael Schultz, Judith Rosenow

Topical Collection in Aerospace

Avionic Systems Collection Editors: Carlos Insaurralde, Francesco Dell’Olio

Back to TopTop