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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Challenges and Recent Advances in Model-Based Engineering for Aerospace submission deadline 31 May 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1410 | Submission Open
Keywords: model-based engineering (MBE); model-based system engineering (MBSE); aerospace; knowledge-based engineering (KBE); digital twin (DT); ontology; semantics
High Speed Aircraft and Engine Design
edited by and
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1133 | Submission Open
Keywords: high-speed aerodynamics; propulsion systems; high-speed flight
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Flight Performance and Planning for Sustainable Aviation
edited by
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1130 | 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)
Heat and Mass Transfer in Rocket Propulsion submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 59 | Submission Open
Keywords: combustion chambers and nozzles; cooling channels and cryogenic handling; solid and hybrid propellants; monopropellants; electric propulsion systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Spacecraft Orbit Transfers (2nd Edition)
edited by
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 40 | Submission Open
Keywords: orbit transfers; space propulsion; space trajectory; trajectory optimization; guidance; navigation; and control; interplanetary missions
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Advanced Aircraft Composite Structure Design
edited by and Chao Zhang
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 28 | Submission Open
Keywords: fiber-reinforced composite materials; functional and multi-functional composites; additive manufacturing of composites; finite modeling method; dynamic response of composite structures; composite maintenance and repair; hygrothermal aging; composite joints; extreme environment
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Advanced Spacecraft/Satellite Technologies (2nd Edition)
edited by
submission deadline 5 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 190 | Submission Open
Keywords: radiation protection; thermal management; guidance; navigation and control; space power and propulsion; space structure; communication; life support; on-orbit servicing; assembly; and manufacturing; artificial intelligence
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Fatigue Damage and Fracture Analysis of Aerospace Metal Materials
edited by
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 5904 | Submission Open
Keywords: aerospace materials; fatigue damage; crack propagation; environmental effects; microstructural analysis; fatigue life prediction; non-destructive testing; computational modeling; advanced material design
Aerodynamic Analysis of a High-Speed Aircraft: From Hypersonic Down to Subsonic Speeds submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 294 | Submission Open
Keywords: high-speed flow; supersonic flow; hypersonic flow; aerodynamics; aerothermodynamics; scramjet propulsion; computational fluid dynamics; MDO
Breakthrough Propulsion for Spacecraft
edited by and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 233 | Submission Open
Keywords: breakthrough propulsion; interstellar travel; advanced in-space propulsion; warp drive; vacuum forces
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Innovations in Rotorcraft Flight Dynamics and Control
edited by Jonnalagadda V R Prasad, Ilkay Yavrucuk and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 184 | Submission Open
Keywords: physics-based simulation models; flight dynamic modeling of multi-rotor vehicles; fly-by-wire; intelligent flight control; urban air mobility; eVTOL; active rotor control; system identification; AI and machine learning; autonomous control
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Hybrid Rocket Propulsion System
edited by Jongshinn Wu and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 40 | Submission Open
Keywords: hybrid rocket propulsion; combustion instability; fuel regression rate; additive manufacturing; green propellants; in-space propulsion; numerical modeling; throttling control; thrust vector control; propulsion education
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Modern Small Spacecraft Design
edited by Jesus D. Gonzalez-Llorente and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Submission Open
Keywords: CubeSats and nanosatellites; small spacecraft; very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellites; moon and space exploration; space systems engineering; spacecraft subsystem design; electrical power systems (eps); propulsion systems; thermal control and thermal management; space communications and rf systems; communication and cyber security; modular and scalable architectures; satellite internet of things (IoT); satellite constellations and swarms; onboard autonomy; artificial intelligence (AI) in space; machine learning (ML) for space systems; sustainable space missions; FDIR mechanism; fault tolerant architecture; space debris mitigation and end-of-life strategies; in-orbit demonstration and technology validation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
AI-Driven Innovations in Air Traffic Management and Aviation Safety
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 861 | Submission Open
Keywords: machine learning; artificial intelligence; generative AI; air traffic management; aviation safety; responsible AI; deep learning; decision support systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Air Traffic and Transportation)
Intelligent Control and Stability Management of Aerospace Propulsion Systems submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 22 | Submission Open
Keywords: intelligent control; reliability; stability management; aerospace propulsion; rockets
Spacecraft Trajectory Design
edited by Mingying Huo, Gang Zhang and
submission deadline 30 Aug 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 10707 | 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)
Next-Generation Drones for Urban Air Mobility: Advances and Innovations submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 5800 | Submission Open
Keywords: next-generation drones; urban air mobility (UAM); innovative materials; hybrid and conventional propulsion; carbon-neutral and zero-emission fuels; AI-powered navigation; flight control systems; communication networks; safety protocols; autonomous flight
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Application of Multidisciplinary Optimization and Artificial Intelligence Techniques to Aerospace Engineering (Volume III)
edited by
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 407 | Submission Open
Keywords: aerospace engineering; multidisciplinary optimization; artificial intelligence; machine learning; data science; UAVs
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
New Sights into Rocket Guidance and Intelligent Control
edited by , Lihui Wang and Liguo Tan
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 383 | 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
Space Optical Instrumentation
edited by Cyril Bourgenot, Christopher Graham and
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 167 | Submission Open
Keywords: earth observation (EO); freespace optical communications (FSOC); optics; imagers; spectrometers; freeform optics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Emerging Trends in Air Traffic Flow and Airport Operations Control
edited by , Yan Xu and
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 88 | Submission Open
Keywords: capacity and delay prediction; dynamic airspace configuration; air traffic flow and capacity management; departure; arrival and surface management; integrated airport and airside operations control; collaborative multi-airport system operations; 4D trajectory planning and management; human-automation interactions; integration of new entrants into controlled airspace; resilient air traffic operation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Air Traffic and Transportation)
Next-Generation Power Technologies for Deep Space Exploration
edited by
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 41 | Submission Open
Keywords: deep-space exploration; power electronics; spacecraft power systems; energy conversion; power management and distribution (PMAD); high-reliability design; radiation-hardened electronics; energy storage; electric propulsion; nuclear and solar power systems; thermal management
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Advances in Gas Turbine Heat Transfer and Cooling Technology
edited by Yuting Jiang and Guoqiang Yue
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 36 | Submission Open
Keywords: gas turbine cooling; air-cooled turbine; film cooling; internal cooling; impingement cooling; turbine blade heat transfer; conjugate heat transfer; cooling efficiency
1st International Forum on Aerospace and Mechanical Optimization
edited by , Zhijun Wang and
submission deadline 15 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 156 | Submission Open
Keywords: structural and topology optimization; aerodynamic and trajectory optimization; multidisciplinary design optimization; aeroelastic and fluid– structure interaction optimization; aircraft design optimization; propulsion system optimization; materials design optimization; aeroacoustic optimization; multi-fidelity modeling and optimization; optimization under uncertainty; AI and machine learning in optimization; quantum computing for engineering optimization
Progress in Satellite Formation Flying Technologies submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 105 | Submission Open
Keywords: formation flying; distributed satellite systems; proximity operations; autonomous GNC; relative dynamics modeling; formation design; formation control; relative navigation; visual; LIDAR; RF; and GNSS navigation; in-orbit operations; mission design; technology demonstrators; low-thrust actuators; HIL experiments; artificial intelligence
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Space Propulsion: Advances and Challenges (4th Edition)
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 66 | Submission Open
Keywords: space propulsion; chemical propulsion; electric propulsion; hybrid propulsion; solar sail propulsion; nuclear propulsion; spacecraft; rocket; launch vehicle; satellite; cubesat; deep space explorer
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Intelligent Guidance, Navigation, and Control for Next-Generation Spacecraft
edited by , Qiang Shen and Yixin Huang
submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 1 | Submission Open
Keywords: intelligent spacecraft GNC; reinforcement learning in aerospace control; spacecraft space rendezvous and docking; intelligent satellite constellation control; fault-tolerant and adaptive GNC; geometric mechanics and attitude control; multi-agent cooperative control in space; high-speed re-entry guidance and dynamics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)
Sensitivity Analysis and Design Optimization for Aerospace Systems
edited by Teng Long and
submission deadline 31 Oct 2026 | Viewed by 23 | Submission Open
Keywords: multidisciplinary design optimization; sensitivity analysis; new-concept flight vehicles; design engineering; system engineering
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Design, Monitoring and Mitigation of Environment-Induced Failures in Aerospace and Mobility Systems submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 87 | Submission Open
Keywords: environment-induced failures; aerospace structures and systems; structural health monitoring (SHM); fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and optical sensors; digital twins and predictive maintenance; icing and anti-/de-icing systems; impact and foreign object damage (FOD); multiphysics modeling and simulation; smart/adaptive materials and coatings; reliability and lifecycle assessment; failure analysis and mitigation strategies; harsh environments (space; maritime; polar; desert); resilient design and adaptive control
Hypersonic Aerodynamics and Propulsion
edited by Lianjie Yue
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 54 | Submission Open
Keywords: hypersonic aerodynamics; air-breathing propulsion; wide-range ramjet engine; rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) engine; integrated guidance and control (IGC); flow stability and mode transition; aerothermodynamics; shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Flight Dynamics, Control & Simulation (3rd Edition)
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 45 | Submission Open
Keywords: flight dynamics; performance analysis; flight simulation; advanced controls; new aircraft concepts; innovation; multidisciplinary optimization; flight mechanics
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
Power Management for Hybrid Electric Aircraft
edited by
submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 36 | Submission Open
Keywords: power management; hybrid electric; fuel cell; multidisciplinary design optimization; hybrid powertrain architectures; sustainable aviation; aircraft design
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
On-Board Systems Design for Aerospace Vehicles (3rd Edition) submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 10 | Submission Open
Keywords: on-board systems design; aerospace systems engineering; systems modelling and simulation; systems verification
(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
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