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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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Heat and Mass Transfer in Rocket Propulsion

edited by

Giuseppe Gallo

Harunori Nagata

and

Landon Kamps

submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 76 | 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

Zhenbo Wang

submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 54 | 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

Wei Feng

and Chao Zhang

submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 37 | 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

Xiaofeng Wu

submission deadline 5 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 199 | 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

Zhixin Zhan

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 6148 | Submission Open

Keywords: aerospace materials; fatigue damage; crack propagation; environmental effects; microstructural analysis; fatigue life prediction; non-destructive testing; computational modeling; advanced material design

New Perspective on Flight Guidance, Control and Dynamics

edited by

Yuanli Cai

and Bangcheng Ai

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 4096 | Submission Open

Keywords: flight modeling and simulation; flight guidance and control; artificial intelligence and optimization; information fusion and processing

Composite Materials and Aircraft Structural Design

edited by Morteza Abouhamzeh

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1354 | 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)

Aerodynamic Analysis of a High-Speed Aircraft: From Hypersonic Down to Subsonic Speeds

edited by

Giuseppe Pezzella

and

Andrea Aprovitola

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 298 | Submission Open

Keywords: high-speed flow; supersonic flow; hypersonic flow; aerodynamics; aerothermodynamics; scramjet propulsion; computational fluid dynamics; MDO

Breakthrough Propulsion for Spacecraft

edited by

Martin Tajmar

and

Les Johnson

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 249 | 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

Mahmoud A. Hayajnh

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 190 | 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

Shisin Wei

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 60 | 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

Zizung Yoon

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 26 | 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)

Dynamic Simulation of Electric Rocket Engine Propulsion

edited by Nanjia Yu

submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Submission Open

Keywords: dynamic simulation; electrically driven pump-fed engine; turbopump; multi-physics modeling; transient analysis; liquid rocket engine; control system design; system integration

(This special issue belongs to the Section Astronautics & Space Science)

AI-Driven Innovations in Air Traffic Management and Aviation Safety

edited by

Milad Memarzadeh

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1030 | 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

edited by

and

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 115 | Submission Open

Keywords: intelligent control; reliability; stability management; aerospace propulsion; rockets

Conceptual Design and Multidisciplinary Optimization of Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft

edited by Yu Hu and Xiaoping Xu

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Submission Open

Keywords: eVTOL conceptual design; multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO); distributed electric propulsion (DEP); battery sizing and electrical energy system integration; rotorcraft aerodynamics; design for noise abatement

(This special issue belongs to the Section Aeronautics)

Spacecraft Trajectory Design

edited by Mingying Huo, Gang Zhang and

Zichen Fan

submission deadline 30 Aug 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 12536 | 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

edited by

Giacomo Silvagni

and

Daniele Fattizzo

submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 6375 | 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

Jules Simo

submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 455 | 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

Hongyang Bai

, Lihui Wang and Liguo Tan

submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 394 | 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

Supachai Awiphan

submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 175 | 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

Lei Yang

, Yan Xu and

Yutong Chen

submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 107 | 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

José A. Carrasco

submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 50 | 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 50 | 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

Melike Nikbay

, Zhijun Wang and

Xiaosong Du

submission deadline 15 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 173 | 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

Adjoint-Based Techniques in Computational Fluid Dynamics: Theory and Applications

edited by

Jorge Ponsin

and

Carlos Lozano

submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1107 | 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

Progress in Satellite Formation Flying Technologies

edited by

Marco Sabatini

and

Roberto Opromolla

submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 112 | 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

Kyun Ho Lee

submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 75 | 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

Shufan Wu

, Qiang Shen and Yixin Huang

submission deadline 30 Sep 2026 | Viewed by 44 | 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)

Human Factors and Performance in Aviation Safety

edited by

Douglas D. Boyd

and

Elizabeth L. Blickensderfer

submission deadline 30 Oct 2026 | Viewed by 15 | Submission Open

Keywords: human factors; human performance; aviation safety; cognition; human– machine interface; automation; pilot training

(This special issue belongs to the Section Air Traffic and Transportation)

Sensitivity Analysis and Design Optimization for Aerospace Systems

edited by Teng Long and

Haichao An

submission deadline 31 Oct 2026 | Viewed by 34 | 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

edited by

Carlo Giovanni Ferro

Stefano Valvano

and

Paolo Maggiore

submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 104 | 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 70 | 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)

Power Management for Hybrid Electric Aircraft

edited by

Giuseppe Palaia

submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 57 | 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)

Flight Dynamics, Control & Simulation (3rd Edition)

edited by

Karim Abu Salem

submission deadline 31 Dec 2026 | Viewed by 52 | 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)

On-Board Systems Design for Aerospace Vehicles (3rd Edition)

edited by