The 1st International Online Conference on Aerospace
Part of the International Online Conference on Aerospace series
16–17 April 2026
2 February 2026
2 March 2026
12 April 2026
Aerodynamics Flight Mechanics, Propulsion Systems Energy, Autonomous AI-Driven Systems, Next-Gen Aircraft Design, Additive Manufacturing Smart Materials, Sustainable Aviation Technologies, Hypersonic Vehicles, Space Systems Exploration, Space Debris Orbital Sustainability
- Go to the Sessions
- Event Details
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS CLOSED.
Thank you for submitting your abstract to the IOCAE 2026.
The abstract acceptance notification will be sent on 2 March 2026.
Registration remains open. Secure your spot and join us for a stimulating conference.
Register for free HERE.
For any inquiries, please contact us at iocae2026@mdpi.com.
Welcome from the Chair
It is my pleasure to invite you to the 1st International Online Conference on Aerospace (IOCAE 2026), which will be held virtually on 16–17 April 2026. This inaugural event aims to bring together leading experts, researchers, and industry professionals to share the latest advances in aerospace science and technology.
IOCAE 2026 provides an interactive and inclusive platform for presenting innovative research, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, and exploring emerging applications across the aerospace sector. Organised under the auspices of MDPI’s journal Aerospace, the conference will offer contributors the opportunity to publish extended versions of their work in a dedicated Special Issue. The themes of the conference include the following:
S1: Next-Gen Aircraft Design & Optimization
-Aircraft Design and Optimization – Covering efficiency, lightweight materials, and sustainability.
-Aerostructures: Materials & Structures – Focusing on composites, smart materials, and additive manufacturing.
-Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics – With trends like urban air mobility (UAM), hypersonics, and drag reduction.
S2: Sustainable Propulsion & Energy Systems
-Fuels & Energy Storage – SAFs, hydrogen propulsion, and hybrid-electric storage.
-Propulsion Technologies – Gas turbines, electric propulsion, and next-gen space propulsion.
S3: Space Systems & Exploration
-Spacecraft Design and Systems Engineering – Modularity, reusability, and miniaturization (CubeSats, SmallSats).
-Space Exploration & Mission Design – Human and robotic missions, ISRU, and long-duration sustainability.
-Space Environment and Space Debris Mitigation – Active debris removal and sustainable satellite design.
S4: Digitalization, Autonomy & Airspace Management
-Avionics and Autonomous Systems – AI-driven flight control, drone swarms, and autonomy in space.
-Air Traffic Management & Airports – AI-based ATC, UAM airspace integration, and sustainable airport infrastructure.
By hosting this conference online, we aim to break down geographical barriers and create a dynamic, global space for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and community building. We are particularly committed to encouraging the active involvement of early career researchers and young scientists as they engage with the forefront of aerospace innovation.
I warmly welcome your participation in this exciting event as we work together to shape the future of aerospace research and development.
Best regards,
Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Kontis
School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Event Chair
School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Professor Kontis is a world-leading authority in aerospace engineering, including integrated wing technologies, air-transport systems and space access, and multi-disciplinary applications of aerodynamics, shock physics, wind tunnel testing, flow control, and diagnostics. He has published more than 350 articles including 130 in journals, 6 book chapters, and 2 books, including an edited two-volume compendium on shock waves published by Springer. His publications embrace both scientific fundamental research and practical engineering applications. His conference papers are regularly invited to appear in the special issues of prestigious journals. He has had continuous EPSRC funding since 2001. Other sources of funding include the Royal Society, EU, Nuffield Foundation, USAF, USNavy, JSPS, and industry. He has raised over £13.5M in external funding including over 65 separate collaborative projects with industrial partners, a testament to the industrial applicability of his work. The new methodologies developed are now being adopted by industries and universities based worldwide. Since 1998, Kontis has given 60 invited presentations and keynote lectures to peer-reviewed conferences and international Advanced Schools in the USA, Europe, India, China, and Japan. He owes his formal education to two universities: the University of Bristol (BEng) and Cranfield University (MSc and PhD). He can speak Greek and Japanese.
Session Chairs
Dr. Yufei Zhang
School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Yufei Zhang is a tenured Associate Professor and Special Research Professor at the School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, where he also serves as Deputy Dean. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Tsinghua University and was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on data-driven turbulence modeling, intelligent aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, aerodynamic optimization, and artificial intelligence in CFD, with applications including icing aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. Prof. Zhang has received multiple honors, including the Youth Top Talent Support Program of China’s National Ten Thousand Talents Program and the Youth Talent Award of the Chinese Aerodynamics Research Society. He is a Lifetime Senior Member of AIAA and serves on editorial boards and program committees for several leading aerospace journals and conferences.
Prof. Dr. Norman Wereley
Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, USA
Prof. Dr. Norman M. Wereley is the Minta Martin Professor and former chair (2012–2021) of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on smart materials and structures, as well as composite and additively manufactured cellular materials and structures, for actuation and occupant protection systems in aerospace and automotive applications. Dr. Wereley has published extensively on these topics, including over 275 journal articles and 22 patents. He was awarded the ASME Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Prize and the SPIE Smart Structures and Materials Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Wereley is a Fellow of AIAA, ASME, IOP, RAeS, SPIE and VFS, and a Lifetime Member of SAMPE. He holds a BEng from McGill University, and MS and PhD degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Actuators and Editor-in-Chief of SAMPE Journal.
Prof. Dr. Stephen Whitmore
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
Dr. Stephen A. Whitmore, Emeritus Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the PRL-USU, has more than 35 years of academic, technical, and program management experience in the aerospace industry. He joined USU in 2005 after more than 25 years as a civil servant for NASA. Dr. Whitmore served multiple roles within NASA including those of principal investigator, chief engineer, branch chief, and program manager. He was fortunate to have worked on 7 different "X-planes." He received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from UCLA in 1988. Dr. Whitmore is also a Licensed Private Pilot with more than 250 hours as pilot in command and has earned more than 40 hours as second in command and flight engineer in Military-Class Jet aircraft. He was a finalist for the Astronaut Class of 2002.
Prof. Dr. M. Reza Emami
Institute for Aerospace Studies, University of Toronto, Canada
Reza Emami has a Ph.D. in robotics and mechatronics from University of Toronto, worked in the industry as a project manager during 1997–2001, before joining the academia. He is a professional engineer, and is currently a Professor and Chair of Onboard Space Systems of the Division of Space Technology at the Lulea University of Technology in Sweden. He has also been an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, and the Director of the Aerospace Mechatronics Group and Coordinator of the Aerospace and Design Laboratories at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Canada, since 2001. His research focuses on concurrent engineering of multidisciplinary systems, such as spacecraft and robotic manipulators and rovers. His current research includes: reconfigurable manipulators, concurrent base-arm control of free-flying space manipulators, social learning in heterogeneous rover/satellite teams, satellite formation flying, asteroid redirection for resource exploitation, and legged locomotion for exploratory rovers. Prof. Emami is the Associate Editor of the International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems. He was recognized by MathWorks as a Featured Professor in 2013 and 2003, and was in the list of University of Toronto's Miracle Workers in 2000.
Prof. Dr. Antonios Tsourdos
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cranfield University, Cranfield, United Kingdom
Antonios Tsourdos is Director of Research, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing and member of the University Executive at Cranfield University. He is an academic who has contributed to the autonomous systems and control field for over 25 years. He completed his PhD in Nonlinear Robust Autopilot Design and Analysis at Cranfield University in 1999 and has been a member of the faculty since then. He started as a lecturer and was later appointed Head of the Autonomous Systems Group in 2007. In 2009, he was awarded the title of Professor of Autonomous Systems and Control and now heads the Centre for Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems. With his achievements in research and expertise in the field, in September 2015, Antonios was appointed the Director of Research for the School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing. Additionally, Antonios is the Proceedings of the Editorial Board of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering; International Journal of Systems Science; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, and Aerospace Science and Technology. Moreover, Antonios is actively involved in the global academic community, serving as the vice-chair of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) Technical Committee on Aerospace Control. He is also a member of the IFAC Technical Committees on Networked Systems, Discrete Event and Hybrid Systems, and Intelligent Autonomous Vehicles.
Committee Members
DLR German Aerospace Research Center, Institute of Electrified Aircraft in Cottbus, Germany
aircraft; contrails; ATM; Air Traffic; trajectory optimization; flight performance
Faculty of Aeronautics, Technical University of Kosice, Slovak Republic
air transport, education, security and safety, environmental issues, human factors and performance
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace, Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy
aerospace engineering; systems engineering; supersonic; hypersonic; aircraft design; Sustainable Aviation; hydrogen; biofuel; conceptual design
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
space propulsion; thruster; satellite system; Thermal Engineering; cfd; inverse heat; rarefied flow
Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy
aircraft design; Electric Aircraft; lighter than air; flight dynamics; weapons; airship design; airships; flight control; Optimal Design; hybrid-electric aircraft
National Key Laboratory of Solid Rocket Propulsion, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China
Solid propellant combustion
College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
aircraft environmental control; avionics cooling; thermal control; aircraft air conditioning; boiling heat transfer; condensing heat transfer; flow resistance
School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
astrodynamics; orbit design and trajectory optimization for space exploration
Department of Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics, University of Patras, Greece
composite materials; mechanical behavior of carbon nanotubes, graphene and nano-reinforced composites,strength prediction of corroded aluminum alloys; computational and experimental strength of materials
School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University, UK
Computational fluid dynamics; numerical optimisation; computational structures
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
vtol aircraft; morphing wings; aircraft/uav design; aeroelasticity; materials science; physics and astronomy; computer science; mathematics; Energy
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Notre Dame, USA
combustion; Aerothermodynamics; Plasma; Flow control
Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology (ENSAM), Institute of Mechanics and Engineering (I2M, UMR 5295), France
topology optimization; anisotropy; Composite materials and structures; homogenization; optimization; finite element method; Multi-scale Analysis; lightweight structures; solid mechanics; elasticity
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Swansea University, UK
structural dynamics; morphing aircraft; Improvement of finite element models using measured data; Identification of damage location and extent using model based algorithms; Rotating machinery dynamics; Model reduction methods; Modelling and analysis of st
Bell Laboratories, Physical Sciences and Engineering Research Division; Portland State University, Depts. of Mech. and Mat., and Elect. and Comp. Engineering, Portland, OR, USA
Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Applied and Mathematical Physics; Materials Science and Engineering; Aerospace Electronics and Photonics; Design for Reliability (DfR) of Electronic, Opto-Electronic and Photonic Assemblies, Packages and Systems; Applied
rds computational fluid dynamics; gas turbines; Mesh Generation; Turbulence modeling; boundary layer; Numerics; drag; boundary condition; Navierstokes Equations"
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Sheffield, UK
sustainable aviation fuel (saf); thermophysical properties; combustion and flow diagnostics; high altitude reignition; gas turbine combustion and high temperature wall heat transfer
Center for Aeronautical and Space Science and Technology (CCTAE), IDMEC, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
CFD
Propulsion and Energy Machinery Section, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), USA
Combustion Propellants and Energetics Explosions, Detonations, and DDT Battery Safety Nano-Scale Particle Synthesis
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde, UK
Multi-Objective Optimisation Nature Inspired Optimisation Algorithms Uncertainty treatment Design Under Uncertainties Multidisciplinary Design Optimisation Uncertainty based Multidisciplinary Design Optimisatio
School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, Beihang University, China
fault-tolerant control, adaptive control, reinforcement learning
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
instability mechanism, stability control, modeling and experimental measurement of axial flow compressor in aeroengine/gas turbine
Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
(1) fault detection and tolerant, human-machine interaction, motion planning and risk assessment for autonomous driving. (2) deployment, navigation and control of unmanned aerial vehicles in applications of surveillance, wireless communications, herding
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, USA
raynold number; Low and high speed aerodynamics (theoretical and experimental), wind tunnel testing, wind energy, configuration design, aircraft performance prediction methods
Keynote Speakers
Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, University of Michigan, USA
Propulsion at the Forefront of Sustainable Development
Karen A. Thole is the Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan. An expert in heat transfer and cooling of gas turbine airfoils, Dr. Karen A. Thole is the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Previously, Dr. Thole served as a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University where she founded the Steady Thermal Aero Research Turbine (START) Lab, which houses a one-stage test turbine with unique measurement capabilities. START is a center of excellence for two turbine manufacturers. A Fellow of ASME, AIAA, and the Royal Aeronautical Society, Dr. Thole has been a member of several National Academy of Engineering studies, of NASA advisory committees, and of the U. S. Department of Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board. Her work has been recognized by ASME’s R. Tom Sawyer, George Westinghouse, Edwin Church and Heat Transfer Memorial Awards. From AIAA, she has received both the Air Breathing Propulsion Award and the Thermophysics Award. Dr. Thole earned her BSME and MSME from the University of Illinois and her PhD from the University of Texas.
Heat Transfer, Gas Turbines, Turbine Blade Cooling, Turbomachinery, Additive Manufacturing
Dr. Karabeyoğlu is currently a faculty member at KOÇ University in İstanbul, Türkiye. He also serves as the CEO of Delta V Space technologies corporation. Dr. Karabeyoğlu has co-founded Space Propulsion Group Inc. (SPG) in 1999 and served as the President/Chief Technical Officer until June 2018. In his career, Dr. Karabeyoğlu has performed extensive research in the field of hybrid rocket combustion and propulsion which has ranged from theoretical studies to investigations of practical applications and propulsion testing. In addition, Dr. Karabeyoğlu has years of experience as an instructor and lecturer at Stanford University on a range of subjects including Applied Aerodynamics, Rocket Propulsion and Experimental Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has also served as the Program Manager and Principal Investigator for a number of SPG programs that focused on the development and testing of hybrid rockets. Dr. Karabeyoğlu has numerous journal articles, conference papers and patents in the fields of rocket propulsion and green energy. He was the chairman of the AIAA’s Hybrid Technical Committee from 2009-2011 and served on the Expert Advisory Board that oversaw the development of the SpaceShipTwo propulsion system developed by Scaled Composites. Dr. Karabeyoğlu is an associate fellow of AIAA.
Rocket Propulsion, Aeronautics, Gas Dynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Engineering Thermodynamics
Department of Aerospace Science & Technology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece; School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, UK
Vaios Lappas has been elected Professor at the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology with a major in Aerospace Systems. He is a graduate of Aeronautical Engineering (B. Eng) of Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada) and a Space Engineer (MSc) of International Space University (Strasbourg, France). He received his PhD from the University of Surrey (UK) in 2002. He has participated as a Co / Principal Investigator in research projects and space missions with funding from Airbus Defense and Space, European Space Agency, NASA, European Commission (FP7). Participates in technical committees (Small Satellites, GNC, Deployable Structures) of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is Associate Editor of the Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Journal of Spacecraft & Rockets and participated in the Space Advisory Group (SAG) committee of the European Commission space research and development from 2011-2015. Participates as a national representative, in the field of control and navigation systems (Guidance, Navigation and Control), in the European Defense Agency (European Defense Agency). Since 2015, it has been involved in the research and development of space systems and technology, autonomous aerospace systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, funded by the European Space Agency, the European Union (Horizon 2020) and the European Defense Agency.
Aerospace, Space Systems, UAVs, Small Satellites
Cho Chun Shik Postgraduate School of Mobility, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea
Professor Hyo-Sang Shin, received an MSc on flight dynamics, guidance and control in Aerospace Engineering from KAIST and gained a PhD on cooperative missile guidance from Cranfield University. He is a Lecturer on Guidance, Control and Navigation Systems in Autonomous and Intelligent Systems Group at Cranfield University since 2010. He participated in the 3rd Korea Robot Aircraft Competition with Team Highest winning the Silver (2004) and Most Popular Team award (2004). Professor Hyo-Sang Shin is extensively involved in teaching and research. He has published book chapter and journal and conference papers. He has been invited to lecture at other universities, research institutes and to industry. His current research interests include cooperative guidance and control for multiple vehicles, coordinated heath monitoring and management, and information-driven sensing.
Aeronautical Systems, Autonomous Systems, Aircraft Design, Flight Physics, Space Systems, Through-life Engineering Services, Computing, Simulation & Modelling, Instrumentation, Sensors and Measurement Science
Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
Collaborative Spacecraft Swarm for Space Debris Removal
Zheng H. (George) Zhu is currently the Professor and Tier 1 York Research Chair in Space Robotics and AI at the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Lassonde School of Engineering), York University. Prof. Zhu does research in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and Materials Engineering. His current project is 'CubeSat Electrodynamic Tether Deorbit Experiment Mission' launched in 2020.
Control Theory; Systems Dynamics; Mathematical Modelling; Composites; Finite Element Modeling; Solid Mechanics; Mechanical Engineering; Dynamics, Nonlinear Analysis, Robotics
Invited Speakers
School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Beihang University, China
Prof. Dr. Yan Xu has conducted many years of research in the field of air traffic–related systems, serving as principal investigator and participant in multiple scientific research projects funded by the EU Horizon programs and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). He has led several major research projects, including National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Young Scientist, General, and Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Overseas) projects, as well as sub-projects of the National Key Research and Development Program of China. Prof. Dr. Yan Xu obtained a PhD from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Spain, and was a visiting scholar at the French Civil Aviation University (ENAC). He later worked at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, holding positions as Postdoctoral Researcher, Lecturer, and Associate Professor. During this period, Prof. Dr. Yan Xu served as Programme Director of the MSc in Advanced Air Mobility Systems and as Head of the Air Traffic Management Laboratory. He has received multiple Best Paper Awards at major international academic conferences. The outcomes of the ISOBAR project led by Prof. Dr. Yan Xu won the 2023 Digital European Sky Award. Students supervised by him have received numerous honors, including First Prize in the SESAR Young Scientist Award (Master’s and PhD categories) in 2023 and 2024, and Second Prize in the 2022 EUROCONTROL Innovation Masterclass Competition (PhD team category). Prof. Dr. Yan Xu currently serves as an Editorial Board Member of IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine (JCR Q1), Young Editorial Board Member of Communications in Transportation Research (JCR Q1), Technical Committee Member of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), and is an IEEE Senior Member. He has been selected for a national-level young talent program.
uav route planning
Registration
The registration for IOCAE 2026 will be free of charge! The registration includes attendance to all conference sessions.
If you are registering several people under the same registration, please do not use the same email address for each person, but their individual university email addresses. Thank you for your understanding.
Please note that the submission and registration are two separate parts. Only scholars who registered can receive a link to access the conference live streaming. The deadline for registration is 12 April 2026.
Instructions for Authors
1. Deadline for abstract submission: 2 February 2026
2. Abstract acceptance notification: 2 March 2026.
Please note:
An abstract acceptance email only confirms that your abstract has been accepted. Oral or poster presentation invitations are determined separately by the conference chairs, and you will receive an additional email with the presentation result.
1. Types of Submissions
- Accepted: Original research abstracts; systematic reviews or meta-analyses abstracts (must comply with PRISMA 2020).
- Not accepted: Narrative, scoping, comparative, perspective, opinion, or essay-style reviews
2. Content Requirements
- Length: 200–300 words
- Structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusions
- Language: Clear, publication-ready English
- Originality: Must be original and unpublished; previously published abstracts will not be considered
3. Authorship
- The submitting author must ensure all co-authors approve the content.
- Authors may submit multiple abstracts, but only one abstract per author may be selected for an oral presentation.
Presentation Requirements
1. Each abstract must designate one presenter. To change the presenter, please contact us after you receive the oral/poster presentation invitation.
2. Only live presentations are accepted.
3. Presenters who do not attend the live session will not be eligible for awards or presentation certificates.
The slot for the oral presentation is 15 mins. We advise that your presentation lasts for a maximum of 12 mins, leaving at least 3 mins for the Q&A session.
Authors are encouraged to prepare a presentation in PowerPoint or similar software, to be displayed online along with the abstract. Slides, if available, will be displayed directly on the website using the proprietary slide viewer at Sciforum.net. Slides can be prepared in exactly the same way as for any traditional conference where research results are presented. Slides should be converted to PDF format prior to submission so that they can be converted for online display.
- Should include the title, authors, contact details and main research findings, as well as tables, figures and graphs where necessary.
- Size in pixel: 1080 width x 1536 height–portrait orientation.
- Size in cm: 38,1 width x 54,2 height–portrait orientation.
- Font size: ≥16.
- Examples of successful submissions can be viewed here at the following links: (1), (2), (3).
- You can use our free template to create your poster.
The poster template can be downloaded HERE. We will reach out to you closer to the dates of the conference with more information.
It is the author's responsibility to identify and declare any personal circumstances or interests that may be perceived as inappropriately influencing the representation or interpretation of clinical research. If there is no conflict, please state "The authors declare no conflicts of interest." This should be conveyed in a separate "Conflict of Interest" statement preceding the "Acknowledgments" and "References" sections at the end of the manuscript. Any financial support for the study must be fully disclosed in the "Acknowledgments" section.
MDPI, the publisher of the Sciforum.net platform, is an open access publisher. We believe authors should retain the copyright to their scholarly works. Hence, by submitting an abstract to this conference, you retain the copyright to the work, but you grant MDPI the non-exclusive right to publish this abstract online on the Sciforum.net platform. This means you can easily submit your full paper (with the abstract) to any scientific journal at a later stage and transfer the copyright to its publisher if required.
Publication Opportunities
Participants in this conference are cordially invited to contribute a full manuscript to the conference's Special Issue, published in Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310, Impact Factor 2.2), with a 20% discount on the publication fee. Please note, if you have IOAP/association discounts, conference discounts will be combined with IOAP/association discounts. Conference discounts cannot be combined with reviewer vouchers. All submitted papers will undergo MDPI’s standard peer-review procedure. The abstracts should be cited and noted on the first page of the paper.
All accepted abstracts will be published in the conference report of the 1st International Online Conference on Aerospace in the Engineering proceedings (ISSN: 2673-4591); authors of accepted abstracts are highly encouraged to submit an extended proceeding paper (ideally 4-8 pages in length) for free, please submit it to the same journal after the conference.
Proceedings paper submission deadline:31 May 2026.
Please click HERE to submit your proceeding paper to the Engineering Proceedings, and be sure to disclose the conference information in your cover letter or mention the conference name in your submission.
IOCAE 2026_proceeding_paper-template.dot
Publication Notice: Conference report and proceedings papers will undergo peer-review procedure. Acceptance at the conference does not ensure final publication.
Manuscripts for the proceedings issue must be formatted as follows:
Title;
Full author names;
Affiliations (including full postal address) and authors' e-mail addresses;
Abstract;
Keywords;
Introduction;
Methods;
Results and Discussion;
Conclusions;
Acknowledgements;
References.
Event Awards

The Awards
Number of Awards Available: 6
The Best Poster Awards are given to the submission judged to make the most significant and interesting poster for the conference.
Sponsors and Partners
For information regarding sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please click here.
Organizers
Media Partners
S1. Next-Gen Aircraft Design & Optimization
-Aircraft Design and Optimization – Covering efficiency, lightweight materials, and sustainability.
-Aerostructures: Materials & Structures – Focusing on composites, smart materials, and additive manufacturing.
-Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics – With trends like urban air mobility (UAM), hypersonics, and drag reduction.
Session Chairs
Dr. Yufei Zhang, School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Prof. Dr. Norman Wereley, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, USA
Show all accepted abstracts (10) Hide accepted abstracts (10)
List of Accepted Abstracts (10) Toggle list
S2. Sustainable Propulsion & Energy Systems
-Fuels & Energy Storage – SAFs, hydrogen propulsion, and hybrid-electric storage.
-Propulsion Technologies – Gas turbines, electric propulsion, and next-gen space propulsion.
The 1st International Online Conference on Aerospace (IOCAE 2026), Session S2 is seeking abstracts on Sustainable Propulsion & Energy Systems. Over the past decade, driven primarily by the emergence of a commercial market for uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and very small, but highly capable spacecraft (SmallSats), this economic sector has seen an unprecedented level of growth. This growth, however, comes with the potential for a significant, negative, environmental impact. The emerging commercial aerospace sector faces growing pressure to reduce environmental footprint, while maintaining performance and efficiency. The development and application of environmentally sustainable propulsion is key to meeting this environmental challenge. Aerospace propulsion systems of the mid-21st century must factor “green” propellants, reduced emissions, and improved fuel efficiency into their designs. Of special interest to this session are abstracts on advanced energy storage and recovery for aerospace systems, and propulsion technologies including highly efficient gas turbines, solar-electric propulsion, and next-generation space propulsion systems using environmentally sustainable, low-carbon impact, propellants.
Session Chair
Prof. Dr. Stephen Whitmore, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
Show all accepted abstracts (11) Hide accepted abstracts (11)
List of Accepted Abstracts (11) Toggle list
S3. Space Systems & Exploration
-Spacecraft Design and Systems Engineering – Modularity, reusability, and miniaturization (CubeSats, SmallSats).
-Space Exploration & Mission Design – Human and robotic missions, ISRU, and long-duration sustainability.
-Space Environment and Space Debris Mitigation – Active debris removal and sustainable satellite design.
The evolution of space science and engineering into a new era is reaching a turning point, due to the emergence of diverse global private and public space players as well as proliferation of disruptive technologies for space applications. The next phase of research and development in the field will likely lead to a transformation from “spacefaring nations” to “nations of spacecrafters,” resulting in more access to space at a lower cost and faster pace, thus a surge of intimate knowledge of space and its resources. Consequently, such transformation will likely change the landscape of deep space exploration through developing advanced propulsion systems for long-duration interstellar travel, engineering robust autonomous spacecraft capable of withstanding extreme conditions, designing robotic systems for space and planetary operations, and devising efficient communication and navigation systems for deep space missions. This section will present topics including, but not limited to, spacecraft miniaturization; autonomy and intelligence for space systems; spacecraft formation flying dynamics and controls; fractionated spacecraft; concurrent engineering of space systems; space manipulators; on-orbit rendezvous, servicing and assembly; space-based surveillance and in situ exploration; planetary rovers; utilization of space resources; space debris remediation and mitigation, etc.
Session Chair
Prof. Dr. M. Reza Emami, Institute for Aerospace Studies, University of Toronto, Canada
Show all accepted abstracts (4) Hide accepted abstracts (4)
List of Accepted Abstracts (4) Toggle list
S4. Digitalization, Autonomy & Airspace Management
-Avionics and Autonomous Systems – AI-driven flight control, drone swarms, and autonomy in space.
-Air Traffic Management & Airports – AI-based ATC, UAM airspace integration, and sustainable airport infrastructure.
Session Chair
Prof. Dr. Antonios Tsourdos, Cranfield University, Cranfield, United Kingdom



