Aerospace Systems Overview

Principles

Definition

Aerospace systems is the interdisciplinary field of engineering and science dedicated to the research, design, development, testing, and operation of vehicles and associated infrastructure capable of flight within the Earth's atmosphere and in outer space. This domain investigates complex, integrated systems characterized by stringent performance requirements, demanding operational environments, and critical safety considerations, playing a vital role in transportation, communication, exploration, and defense.

Ontological type

Safety and Reliability

System Architectures

Control and Autonomy

Key developments

Key Figures

Integrated Fault-Tolerant Control era

Mica R. Endsley [1] is associated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology [3] and Texas Tech University [4] during this era. Endsley [1] contributed by advancing the study of situation awareness, notably through the SAGAT framework for assessing operator awareness in aerospace settings [7], a foundation for designing integrated fault-tolerant interfaces crucial to this era. Ron J. Patton [2] is associated with University of Maryland, College Park [5] and University of York [6] during this era. Patton [2] contributed through a systematic review of parity-space fault diagnosis approaches for aerospace systems [8] (1994) and through the development of analytical redundancy for fault detection and diagnosis [9] (1991), efforts that helped institutionalize model-based verification and analytical redundancy as central tools for fault-tolerant control architectures in this period.

Cyber-Physical Integration era

Edward A. Lee [1], affiliated with University of California, Berkeley [3] and Berkeley College [4], is a foundational figure in cyber‑physical systems during the 2005–2016 period. His Modeling Cyber–Physical Systems [5] articulated a formal modeling framework that bridges computation and physical processes, enabling rigorous verification, model‑based co‑design, and analysis that supported real‑time trajectory management and sense‑and‑avoid concepts in this era. Patricia Derler [2], tied to University of California, Berkeley [3] and Berkeley College [4], contributed to CPS modeling and validation efforts during the same period. Derler's contributions in Modeling Cyber–Physical Systems [5] emphasize collaborative CPS modeling and verification approaches, reinforcing the same framework and aiding co‑simulation and system‑level validation that were vital for CPS integration in this era.

Adaptive Data-Driven Control era

Bin Xu [1] is an active researcher associated with Tsinghua University [3] and Zhejiang University of Technology [4] in the Adaptive Data‑Driven Control era (2017–2023). His key contributions include the Barrier Lyapunov Function Based Learning Control of Hypersonic Flight Vehicle With AOA Constraint and Actuator Faults [7], and the Asymmetric integral BLF based state‑constrained flight control using NN and DOB [8], which together advanced robust, data‑driven control under actuator faults and operational constraints—critical for safety and performance in adaptive aerospace systems. Wei He [2] is a leading researcher affiliated with the University of Science and Technology of China [5] and Nankai University [6] during this era. In the 2018 Barrier Lyapunov Function Based Learning Control of Hypersonic Flight Vehicle With AOA Constraint and Actuator Faults [7], his contributions helped establish barrier Lyapunov function‑based learning control to ensure stability and constraint satisfaction under actuator faults, a foundational step for learning‑based resilience in adaptive aerospace control in this period.