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

This fair lifted Seattle, says Greenhalgh, reinforcing it ties to the aerospace, computing and technology industries—an identity that remains to this day.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

A British aerospace company that was developing a replacement for the famous Red Arrows fighter jet has gone into administration, resulting in the loss of about 30 jobs.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Fleming notes that some aerospace companies are working to develop such aircraft, though he predicts passenger service won’t be available until “2035–2040 at the earliest.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

To be sure, commercial aerospace and nanoscale chip manufacturing are very different industries.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

The problem so far with such an aerospace plane is that, in order to get into orbit, the plane must fly very fast through the upper atmosphere.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins