International Day of Human Space Flight—12 April 2026
International Day of Human Space Flight, observed annually on 12 April, commemorates the beginning of the space era for humankind.
On this day, in 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft. This achievement marked a turning point in human history, opening the door to space exploration for the progress of humanity. The United Nations General Assembly officially declared this day in 2011 to honor the shared interest of humankind in exploring and using outer space for peaceful purposes.
In support of the International Day of Human Space Flight, MDPI journals aim to foster dialog and research on the scientific and engineering dimensions of space exploration. Through Special Issues and research articles, MDPI hopes to provide a platform to explore topics such as aerospace systems and innovations in spacecraft engineering technology.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
“Astronaut Selection: Implications for the New Era of Spaceflight”
by Simon Evetts, Beth Healey, Tessa Morris-Paterson and Vladimir Pletser
Astronautics 2026, 1(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/astronautics1010007
“Optimal Control and Neural Porkchop Analysis for Low-Thrust Asteroid Rendezvous Mission”
by Zhong Zhang, Niccolò Michelotti, Gonçalo Oliveira Pinho, Yilin Zou and Francesco Topputo
Astronautics 2026, 1(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/astronautics1010006
“Conditioned Sequence Models for Warm-Starting Sequential Convex Trajectory Optimization in Space Robots”
by Matteo D’Ambrosio, Stefano Silvestrini and Michèle Lavagna
Aerospace 2026, 13(2), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13020137
“A Systematic Literature Review on PHM Strategies for (Hydraulic) Primary Flight Control Actuation Systems”
by Leonardo Baldo, Andrea De Martin, Giovanni Jacazio and Massimo Sorli
Actuators 2025, 14(8), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14080382
“Does the Choice of Topic Modeling Technique Impact the Interpretation of Aviation Incident Reports? A Methodological Assessment”
by Aziida Nanyonga, Keith Joiner, Ugur Turhan and Graham Wild
Technologies 2025, 13(5), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13050209
“Neural Network-Aided Optical Navigation for Precise Lunar Descent Operations”
by Simone Andolfo, Antonio Genova, Fabio Valerio Buonomo, Anna Maria Gargiulo, Mohamed El Awag, Pierluigi Federici, Riccardo Teodori, Riccardo La Grassa, Cristina Re and Gabriele Cremonese
Aerospace 2025, 12(3), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12030195
“Assessment of Noise of MEMS IMU Sensors of Different Grades for GNSS/IMU Navigation”
by Vladimir Suvorkin, Miquel Garcia-Fernandez, Guillermo González-Casado, Mowen Li and Adria Rovira-Garcia
Sensors 2024, 24(6), 1953; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24061953
|
“The Impact of Smart Structures in Contemporary and Future Aerospace Scenarios” |
“Detector Systems for Space and Astronomy Applications” |
 |
 |
|
“Aviation Science and Technology Applications” |
“Advanced and Intelligent Attitude Control for Spacecraft” |
 |
 |
|
“Sensors and Sensing Technologies for Structural Health Monitoring in Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Engineering” |
“Advances in Lunar Exploration (2nd Edition)” |
 |
 |