Aerospace Engineering and Symmetry/Asymmetry

A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering and Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 924

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Science and Engineering Technologies, University of Brasília, Brasília 72444-240, Brazil
Interests: rocket propulsion; hybrid propulsion; combustion; CFD; experimental testing; flow control; additive manufacturing; DfAM; rockets; ramjets; aerodynamics; wind turbines

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Guest Editor
School of Aerospace Engineering, La Sapienza University of Rome, Via Salaria 851, 00138 Rome, Italy
Interests: experimental and numerical work in aerospace propulsion; hypersonic flows; scramjet and ramjet propulsion; hybrid and electric propulsion; plasma and micro‑thrusters; green propellants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor Assistant
Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Technology, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
Interests: arc deposition additive manufacturing (ADM); electric arc welding processes; micromachining (micromilling); metal machining

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Symmetry—whether meticulously preserved or deliberately broken—underlies many of the breakthroughs that define modern aerospace systems. Balanced injector arrays, swirl-stabilised combustors, lattice-optimised rocket nozzles, and morphology-tuned UAVs are only a few examples where the nuanced handling of symmetry turns theory into flight-ready hardware.

This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and short communications that illuminate the role of symmetry or asymmetry in the following:

  • Chemical, electric, hybrid, and “green” propulsion;
  • High-speed aerodynamics and aero-thermodynamics;
  • Multiphase or reactive-flow modelling, including data-driven and PINN approaches;
  • Topology optimisation and design for additive manufacturing;
  • Flow-control concepts that exploit or disrupt symmetry;
  • Structural and material symmetry in rotating machinery and turbopumps;
  • Autonomous systems whose guidance, sensing, or morphology is symmetry-informed.

Our aim is to assemble a cross-disciplinary collection that both refines fundamental understanding and showcases practical engineering solutions.

Prof. Dr. Olexiy Shynkarenko
Dr. Antonella Ingenito
Guest Editors

Dr. Maksym Ziberov
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • symmetry breaking
  • aerospace engineering
  • rocket propulsion
  • electric propulsion
  • hybrid engines
  • high-speed aerodynamics
  • combustion modelling
  • plasma flows
  • computational fluid dynamics
  • additive manufacturing
  • topology optimisation
  • flow control
  • autonomous aerial systems
  • data-driven simulation
  • turbulence and transition
  • experimental analysis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 3538 KB  
Article
Nonlinear Receding Contact Mechanics of Functionally Graded Layers for Aerospace Structures: A Symmetry-Based Analytical and FEM Study
by Ahmad Abushattal, Merve Terzi, Ayşegül Eyüboğlu, Murat Yaylacı, Dursun Murat Sekban, Safa Nayır, Ecren Uzun Yaylacı, Deshinta Arrova Dewi and Ahmet Birinci
Symmetry 2026, 18(2), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18020378 - 19 Feb 2026
Viewed by 471
Abstract
Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are widely applied in spacecraft structural design, thermal protection systems, and planetary landing mechanisms, benefiting from their ability to resist large thermal, pressure, and force gradients. To assess structural response behaviors for lander missions, docking maneuvers, and force transfer [...] Read more.
Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are widely applied in spacecraft structural design, thermal protection systems, and planetary landing mechanisms, benefiting from their ability to resist large thermal, pressure, and force gradients. To assess structural response behaviors for lander missions, docking maneuvers, and force transfer in layered aerospace structures, analyzing the contacts subjected to heavily stressed areas becomes very important. This article investigates the receding contact between a functionally graded top layer and a uniform substrate lying on a Winkler elastic foundation using the elasticity theory. An analytical approach has been validated using a finite element method (FEM) implemented in ANSYS. Comparison between the analytical solution and the FEM solution has been conducted for different stamp radii, elastic foundation stiffnesses, and ratios of shearing modulus for various realistic materials in the aerospace field. The data indicate very good convergence between the two solutions for both the length of contacts and the normal stress distribution, where differences are always below 3%. An increase in stamp radius leads to an extension of the contacts as well as a reduction in normal stresses and elevated stiffness and shearing modulus ratio contribute to smaller contacts and higher stresses. The validated methodological approach offers a realistic means for predicting force transfer mechanisms in spacecraft landing pads, multi-layer insulation panels, adaptive space structures, and functionally graded parts subjected to localized loads. This work offers predictive capabilities for space material interface design and optimization for harsh mechanical environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerospace Engineering and Symmetry/Asymmetry)
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