astronautics

American  

[as-truh-naw-tiks, -not-iks] / ˌæs trəˈnɔ tɪks, -ˈnɒt ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. the science of or technology involved in travel beyond the earth's atmosphere, including interplanetary and interstellar flight.

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astronautics British  

/ ˌæstrəˈnɔːtɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the science and technology of space flight

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Other Word Forms

• astronautic adjective
• astronautically adverb

Etymology

Origin of astronautics

First recorded in 1925–30; astronautical, -ics

Example Sentences

"We will be drawing on our expertise in electronics, fundamental science, astronautics, artificial intelligence and many others, to enrich the UK space industry and support the national space strategy."

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Dawson and Chuchu Fan, assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, are presenting their work this week at the Conference on Robotic Learning.

From Science Daily • Nov. 9, 2023

Cynic, realist, whatever: when I stood around chatting with my free drink, surrounded by optimism, I harbored some reservations about the usefulness of analog astronautics and the motivations of the participants.

From Scientific American • Jul. 10, 2023

It was this high-stakes collision between geopolitical turmoil and the aerospace industry that Joki entered when he graduated from the University of Washington in 1965 with a degree in aeronautics and astronautics.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 13, 2019

As far back as I can remember in my childhood, I was always interested in astronautics.

From Man Made by Teichner, Albert