aerospace

American  

[air-oh-speys] / ˈɛər oʊˌspeɪs /

noun

1. the atmosphere and the space beyond considered as a whole.

2. the industry concerned with the design and manufacture of aircraft, rockets, missiles, spacecraft, etc., that operate in aerospace.

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adjective

1. of or relating to aerospace or the aerospace industry.

aerospace British  

/ ˈɛərəˌspeɪs /

noun

1. the atmosphere and space beyond

2. (modifier) of or relating to rockets, missiles, space vehicles, etc, that fly or operate in aerospace

   the aerospace industry

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aerospace Scientific  

/ âr′ō-spās′ /

1. Relating to the Earth's atmosphere and the space beyond.

2. Relating to the science and technology of flight and space travel.

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Etymology

Origin of aerospace

First recorded in 1955–60; aero- + space

Explanation

The science of airplanes and rockets is known as aerospace. If you're interested in launching rockets or building jets, you should consider a career in aerospace. The term aerospace was coined in the U.S. during the mid-20th century, from aeronautics, the study of planes and other flying machines, and spaceflight. The aerospace industry includes a lot of flying craft, including commercial airplanes, unpowered gliders, military jets, missiles, and space shuttles. Aerospace engineers design these vehicles and develop ways to make them safer and more efficient, as well as testing and maintaining them.

Example Sentences

What is known is that disagreements emerged, over time, between the main industry players, France's Dassault Aviation and European aerospace firm Airbus – which represented Germany and Spain, who joined the project later.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Earlier this year, Honeywell said it planned to spin off its aerospace unit sooner than previously expected after Chief Executive Vimal Kapur said there was considerable progress on its portfolio optimization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

"This the first time anyone has conceived using fire whirls for oil spill remediation, and it's really just the beginning," said Oran, professor of aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering.

From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026

The neutralized MMA will be transferred from tanks at the aerospace firm “into sealed trucks for transport and disposal,” officials said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

The millisecond I’d found out that Mrs. B was an aerospace engineer at NASA, I’d known we would be friends.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas