Welcome to Astronautics: A Note from the Editorial Office

When humanity first broke free from Earth’s gravitational bonds, we began the grandest chapter in the history of our civilization. As a profound cosmic reflection eloquently puts it: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known”. The launch of the Astronautics journal aims to provide an academic platform for this extraordinary cosmic journey. At this pivotal moment in history, where terrestrial civilization reaches toward the vastness of deep space, we extend a sincere invitation to all fellow star-gazers to join us.

As a cutting-edge academic platform dedicated to astronautics technology and space science, our journal is driven by three core missions:

New Horizons of Knowledge Expansion

We will systematically curate groundbreaking research on spacecraft design innovation, propulsion system optimization, extraterrestrial survival technologies, and deep-space exploration. This will serve to establish critical knowledge benchmarks in aerospace engineering.

Interdisciplinary Synergy Catalyst

By developing an “astronautics+” cross-disciplinary dialogue platform through structured academic exchanges, we aim to foster deep collaboration between spacecraft engineers, aeronautical engineers, astrophysicists, planetary geologists, and other experts from diverse fields.

Space Economy Architect

We will explore the profound societal impacts of space technology, focusing on building theoretical frameworks for the emerging space economy, and analyzing its potential socio-technological implications.

We are committed to maintaining academic rigor through a transparent and stringent peer-review process, accelerating the dissemination of knowledge, and collectively shaping humanity’s transition toward becoming an interplanetary species.

In developing Astronautics, our strategic vision addresses a critical need within the current scholarly publishing landscape. We believe in cultivating a stratified journal matrix to best serve the evolving needs of the astronautics and space exploration community. To advance this vision, our structured publishing strategy proposes

• Implementing a “flagship + specialized subsidiary” model;
• Establishing multidimensional evaluation systems for differentiated development;
• Cultivating premium journal clusters in niche domains.

We earnestly seek scholarly support for building an expert network and forming the Editorial Board.

We extend special acknowledgment to Dr. Shu-Kun Lin, MDPI’s founding president, and the visionary behind the journal’s name. As Dr. Lin has so eloquently said: “In the vast expanse of the cosmos, human exploration knows no limits—our future shall shine among the stars”.

We also wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to Professor Zhaokui Wang (Tsinghua University) for serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the journal. His leadership will be essential in the establishment and future development of this new publication. Additionally, we sincerely thank Professor Haixin Chen and Associate Professor Fanghua Jiang, both from Tsinghua University and members of the Editorial Board of Aerospace, for their strong support of this journal.