Special Issues

Aerospace publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Advanced Aerospace Composite Materials and Smart Structures
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 6 articles | Viewed by 12807 | Submission Open
Keywords: experimental mechanics; smart structures; non-destructive inspection; renewable composites; digital twin; interphase (interface); self-healing composites; structural health monitoring; composite manufacturing
Combustion of Solid Propellants
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 6 articles | Viewed by 8738 | Submission Open
Keywords: propellant combustion; combustion adjustment; combustion modeling; high-pressure combustion
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Scientific and Technological Advances in Hydrogen Combustion Aircraft
edited by Paul Palies
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5135 | Submission Open
Keywords: combustion; hydrogen; mixing; turbulence; swirl; premixed; partially premixed; stratified; flame displacement speed; cryogenic; cryogenic distillation; separation; aviation; aircraft; swirler; heat exchanger; injector; combustor; jet engine; fluid mechanics; flame stabilization; acoustics; combustion instability; fuel burn
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Experimental Fluid Dynamics and Fluid-Structure Interactions
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3919 | Submission Open
Keywords: experimental fluid dynamics; fluid– structure interactions; flow-induced vibration; unsteady aerodynamics; flight/flow control; morphing wings; load control
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Spacecraft Trajectory Design
edited by Mingying Huo, Gang Zhang and
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3124 | Submission Open
Keywords: efficient trajectory design for deep space exploration missions; spacecraft game-based orbit design; space situation awareness; spacecraft formation trajectories; space manipulator trajectory design
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
New Results in Wind Tunnel Testing
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 2851 | Submission Open
Keywords: subsonic/transonic/supersonic/hypersonic wind tunnel; measurement techniques; measurement systems; test methodology; innovative approaches
Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics of Unsteady Flow
edited by Teng Zhou, Wangqiao Chen and Jingwen Guo
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2406 | Submission Open
Keywords: computational fluid dynamics; unsteady flow; rotor– rotor interaction; fluid structure interaction; experimental aerodynamics/aeroacoustics; computational aeroacoustics; wing noise; rotor noise
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Numerical Modelling of Aerospace Propulsion
edited by Thien Xuan Dinh
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1180 | Submission Open
Keywords: propulsion modelling algorithms; combustion modelling of gas/liquid/solid propellant; computational fluid dynamics for propulsion; numerical-aid-design propulsion; open-source code for propulsion
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Flight Performance and Planning for Sustainable Aviation
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 788 | Submission Open
Keywords: sustainable aviation; flight performance optimization; contrails and climate impact; alternative fuels; greenhouse gas emissions; aviation environmental impact; sustainable propulsion systems; aviation decarbonization; flight path optimization; climate-friendly aviation; life cycle assessment (lca) in aviation; operational efficiency in aviation; aviation emission mitigation; sustainable aviation fuels (safs); electric and hybrid aircraft; hydrogen-powered aviation; climate-conscious flight planning; net-zero aviation; aviation policy and sustainability; impact of contrail avoidance
(This special issue belongs to the Section Air Traffic and Transportation)
Advances in Space Surveillance and Tracking
edited by and Mauro Massari
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 333 | Submission Open
Keywords: space debris; space surveillance and tracking; space situational awareness; orbit determination; space objects cataloguing; artificial intelligence; in-orbit fragmentations; satellite conjunctions; collision avoidance; space traffic management; cislunar region
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Advanced Aerospace Materials and Technologies
edited by Giuseppe Sala and
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 255 | Submission Open
Keywords: polymers composite materials and technologies; bio-mimetic materials; lightweight and shape memory alloys technologies; additive manufacturing processes; smart materials and structures; health and usage monitoring systems; HUMSs; materials aging and deterioration; recyclable materials; self-healing materials; materials for harsh conditions
Recent Advances in Vehicle Navigation and Positioning
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 233 | Submission Open
Keywords: positioning and navigation; SLAM; route planning; artificial intelligence; integrated navigation; information fusion
Advances in Experimental and Computational Combustion
edited by Marcel Ilie
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 178 | Submission Open
Keywords: aircraft engine; air-breathing propulsion; turbojet engine; turbofan engine; supersonic/hypersonic combustion; turbulence modeling; turbulent reacting flows; premixed combustion; non-premixed combustion; aeroacoustics and combustion-generated noise; large-eddy simulations (LESs); direct numerical simulations (DNSs); hybrid RANS/LES; analytical and computational combustion; numerical methods and high-order schemes
Research and Applications of Low-Altitude Urban Traffic System
edited by , Haoran Chi and
submission deadline 15 Oct 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4759 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial intelligence; unmanned traffic management; urban low-altitude traffic; urban aerial traffic; autonomous navigation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Air Traffic and Transportation)
Fluid Flow Mechanics (4th Edition)
edited by
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 6683 | Submission Open
Keywords: turbulence modelling; computational fluid dynamics; laminar separation bubbles; separation; transition
Selected Papers from the 11th Edition of the “AEROSPATIAL” Conference (AEROSPATIAL 2024)
edited by , Marilena D. Pavel, , Jochen Wild, Daniela Enciu and Ionuţ Bunescu
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5622 | Submission Open
Keywords: aerospace sciences; aerodynamics; aerospace structures; materials for aeronautics and aerospace; systems and control in aeronautics; aerospace management
Fatigue Damage and Fracture Analysis of Aerospace Metal Materials
edited by
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4988 | Submission Open
Keywords: aerospace materials; fatigue damage; crack propagation; environmental effects; microstructural analysis; fatigue life prediction; non-destructive testing; computational modeling; advanced material design
Advances in Asteroid Dynamics
edited by Marta Ceccaroni and Marco Fenucci
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4891 | Submission Open
Keywords: asteroid dynamics; orbit determination; space exploration
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Advanced Flow Diagnostic Tools (2nd Edition)
edited by
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3158 | Submission Open
Keywords: laser-based optical methods; surface flow visualization; transition detection; microfluidics/nanofluidics; combustion flow; multiphase flow; wind tunnel and/or flight tests; heat transfer flow; boundary layer; compressible flow
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Green Propulsion: Present Solutions and Perspectives for Powering Environmentally Friendly Space Missions (2nd Edition)
edited by , and Stefania Carlotti
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2174 | Submission Open
Keywords: green propulsion; solid propulsion; liquid propulsion; hybrid propulsion; propellant; pollution; environmental impact; space industry; clean technologies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
New Sights into Rocket Guidance and Intelligent Control
edited by , Lihui Wang and Liguo Tan
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 268 | Submission Open
Keywords: intelligent aerospace systems; rocket launches and rocket reuse; formation control and coordination; fault diagnosis and health monitoring; multi-objective optimization; evolutionary computation; deep learning in aerospace; sensor fusion; fixed-time control; spacecraft autonomy; trajectory optimization; aerospace control systems; vision-based navigation; intelligent flight control; advanced signal processing; aerospace system reliability
New Concepts in Spacecraft Guidance Navigation and Control
edited by Carmine Giordano, and Iosto Fodde
submission deadline 20 Nov 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3346 | Submission Open
Keywords: spacecraft GNC; miniaturized satellites; autonomous space systems; spacecraft trajectory optimization; deep space navigation; adaptive control systems; artificial intelligence in spacecraft GNC; space distributed systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Space Robotics and Embodied Intelligence: Advancing Autonomous Exploration
edited by Deshan Meng, and Linqi Ye
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6440 | Submission Open
Keywords: space robotics; space manipulators; embodied intelligence; innovative design; trajectory optimization; perception and manipulation; intelligent control; human– robot interaction; on-orbit servicing; autonomous exploration
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Deicing and Anti-Icing of Aircraft (Volume IV)
edited by and Xiaobin Shen
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 5312 | Submission Open
Keywords: deicing; anti-icing; ice accretion; ice adhesion; ice cohesion
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Integrated Guidance and Control for Aerospace Vehicles
edited by , Tuo Han, Pengyu Wang and Wei Dong
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3327 | Submission Open
Keywords: integrated guidance and control; guidance and control modelling; constrained guidance and control; field-of-view limit; terminal impact constraint; actuator saturation; intelligent control
New Perspective on Flight Guidance, Control and Dynamics
edited by and Bangcheng Ai
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1256 | Submission Open
Keywords: flight modeling and simulation; flight guidance and control; artificial intelligence and optimization; information fusion and processing
Challenges and Recent Advances in Model-Based Engineering for Aerospace submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1006 | Submission Open
Keywords: model-based engineering (MBE); model-based system engineering (MBSE); aerospace; knowledge-based engineering (KBE); digital twin (DT); ontology; semantics
Physical Interaction of Floating-Base Robotics for Advancing Aerospace Technologies
edited by Matteo Fumagalli
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 276 | Submission Open
Keywords: floating-base manipulation; aerial and space robotics; underwater; legged and humanoid robotics methods for aerospace applications; dynamics and control of floating-base systems; robot physical interaction
Aerodynamic Numerical Optimization in UAV Design (2nd Edition)
edited by Aleksandar M. Simonović
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 148 | Submission Open
Keywords: unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); aerodynamic design optimization; aerodynamic shape optimization; optimization design; multi-objective optimization (MDO); airfoil; wing; propeller; computational fluid dynamics (CFD); aerodynamic configuration
Space Navigation and Control Technologies (2nd Edition)
edited by Xin Ma, Wei Zhang and Dongyu Li
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 143 | Submission Open
Keywords: autonomous navigation; integrated navigation; celestial navigation; pulsar navigation; optical navigation; maneuver control; networked spacecraft cooperation; adaptive systems; robotic control
Aircraft Conceptual Design: Tools, Processes and Examples
edited by
submission deadline 1 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 884 | Submission Open
Keywords: aircraft design; design engineering; systems engineering; conceptual design; certification; aerodynamics; propulsion; structures; mass properties; operations research
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Innovation and Challenges in Hypersonic Propulsion
edited by Kunyuan Zhang and Yongzhou Li
submission deadline 15 Dec 2025 | 6 articles | Viewed by 8115 | Submission Open
Keywords: hypersonic propulsion; propulsion/airframe integration; combined cycle engine; inlet design; supersonic combustion; nozzle design; flame stabilization; thermal management; aerothermodynamics; wind tunnel testing; numerical simulation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Space System Design
edited by Ed Kruzins and Edwin Peters
submission deadline 15 Dec 2025 | 7 articles | Viewed by 4932 | Submission Open
Keywords: advanced mission design; spacecraft subsystem innovations; modular and scalable space architectures; AI and ML in space system design; sustainability in space; integration of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Application of Tether Technology in Space
edited by Gangqiang Li and Jinyu Liu
submission deadline 15 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3001 | Submission Open
Keywords: space tether; modeling technique; state estimator/observer; controller designer; experiment
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Advances in UAVs: Design Methods, Performance Enhancement Techniques and Technologies submission deadline 15 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 695 | Submission Open
Keywords: UAVs; design and synthesis; innovative layouts; aerodynamics; optimization; flow control; alternative energy sources; solar energy; flight planning; structures; materials; airworthiness
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Advancing Fluid Dynamics in Aerospace Applications submission deadline 18 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 454 | Submission Open
Keywords: aerospace fluid dynamics; applied aerodynamics; computational and experimental aerodynamics; flow control and optimization; aero-propulsive interaction; high-speed flows; reduced-order modeling
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
From Satellite Systems Design, Verification and Testing to Spacecraft Operations
edited by
submission deadline 20 Dec 2025 | 5 articles | Viewed by 9941 | Submission Open
Keywords: spacecraft design; satellite systems; verification and testing; in-orbit testing; spacecraft operations; on-board software; hardware-in-the-loop testing; digital twin; operational efficiency; autonomous spacecraft; software automation; mission readiness
Composite Materials and Aircraft Structural Design
edited by Morteza Abouhamzeh
submission deadline 20 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 800 | Submission Open
Keywords: aircraft design; aviation/aeronautical; composite; hybrid; biomaterials; optimization; novel aircraft structures; functional composites; modeling; optimizations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Adjoint-Based Techniques in Computational Fluid Dynamics: Theory and Applications
edited by and
submission deadline 20 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 747 | Submission Open
Keywords: adjoint equations  ; continuous adjoint method  ; discrete adjoint method  ; aerodynamic design  ; properties of adjoint solutions  ; gradient-based optimization  ; computational fluid dynamics  ; multidisciplinary optimization  ; adjoint-based stability analysis  ; error estimation and mesh adaptation  ; uncertainty quantification
Flight Dynamics and Simulation of Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles
edited by and
submission deadline 20 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 178 | Submission Open
Keywords: flight dynamics; handling qualities; ride quality; control allocation; control design; control augmentation; unified control concept; flight simulation
Innovations in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: Design and Development
edited by Marco Ciarcià
submission deadline 30 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 742 | Submission Open
Keywords: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); drone technology; UAV design; UAV development; aerial robotics; flight control systems; UAV payload integration; artificial intelligence (AI) in UAVs; UAV swarming; UAV navigation and guidance; regulations and standards; future trends in UAVs
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Numerical Simulations in Electric Propulsion
edited by , , and Vittorio Giannetti
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 8 articles | Viewed by 18528 | Submission Open
Keywords: electric propulsion; plasma thrusters; plasma physics; numerical modeling; MHD; fluid methods; kinetic methods; particle-in-cell; hybrid methods
Advances in UAV Technology: Dynamics, Guidance, Navigation, and Control of Transformative Aerial Vehicles
edited by , , Daniel Neri Cardoso and Marcelo Alves Dos Santos
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 11 articles | Viewed by 12538 | Submission Open
Keywords: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); innovative UAV design; UAV dynamics; guidance systems; navigation technologies; control mechanisms; convertible UAVs; bio-inspired UAVs; unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles; eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing); unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM); distributed UAV networks; UAV path planning; mathematical modeling in UAVs; UAV applications; localization and mapping
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
New Trends in Aviation Development 2024–2025 submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5981 | Submission Open
Keywords: aeronautics and aerospace technologies; dual-use applications; aircraft design; maintenance and services; certification; UAV/UAS; photogrammetry and GIS; avionics; aeronautical meteorology; aerodynamics; vibroacoustic issues; space systems; sensors; application of superconducting technology in astronautics; numerical modelling; multicriteria decision processes; big data; aeronautics education and training; human factors and performance; reliability; safety and security; risk assessment
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Laser Propulsion Science and Technology (2nd Edition)
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 6 articles | Viewed by 5583 | Submission Open
Keywords: beamed energy propulsion; debris removal; directed energy propulsion; laser ablation; laser arrays; laser debris removal; laser-electric propulsion; laser launch; laser momentum coupling; laser orbital debris removal; laser propellant; laser propulsion; laser sails; laser thermal coupling; laser thermal propulsion; laser thrusters; lightsails; microwave propulsion
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Operational Requirements for Urban Air Traffic Management
edited by Isabel C. Metz and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5199 | Submission Open
Keywords: air traffic management; airspace integration; CONOPS; operations; urban air traffic management; vertiports
(This special issue belongs to the Section Air Traffic and Transportation)
Advances in Landing Systems Engineering
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4750 | Submission Open
Keywords: landing gear systems; mechanical engineering; novel materials; optimization; multiphysics; interdisciplinary; noise; systems engineering; prognostics and health management
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Advanced Aircraft Structural Design and Applications
edited by Meiying Zhao, Liaojun Yao and Heyuan Huang
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 6 articles | Viewed by 4629 | Submission Open
Keywords: advanced aircraft structures; finite element analysis (FEA); composite materials; additive manufacturing in aerospace; fatigue and damage tolerance; structural integrity; lightweight design; adaptive and active structures; structural health monitoring; multidisciplinary optimization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Artificial Intelligence in Aerospace Propulsion
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4261 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial intelligence; machine learning; data-driven; digital twin; chemical propulsion; electric propulsion; rocket engine; plasma propulsion
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Aircraft Thermal Management Technologies
edited by Yongqi Xie and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4006 | Submission Open
Keywords: thermal management; thermal transport; environmental control; active/passive cooling; thermoelectric conversion; waste heat recovery; heat exchanger; energy storage; hybrid cooling systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
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