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The Aerospace Sector

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Aerospace and Digitalization

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology ((BRIEFSMANUFACT))

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Abstract

The aerospace sector is built around the fields of aeronautics and astronautics. The sector’s core activity is the manufacture of a wide range of aircraft and spacecraft. Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other similar companies, together with space agencies such as the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), are important reference sources through which to understand the current nature of aerospace. While manufacturing is the core activity of the sector, the activities required to support such manufacture are complex, for example, the construction of large supply chains, launching extensive R&D programmes involving multiple partners, and so on. The present chapter aims at providing a brief introduction to aerospace, its organization and main activities performed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    International Air Transport Association (2020). Annual review 2020. Available via IATA. https://www.iata.org/contentassets/c81222d96c9a4e0bb4ff6ced0126f0bb/iata-annual-review-2020.pdf. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

  2. 2.

    Airlines. International Air Transport Association (2019). In numbers: World Air Transport Statistics 2019. Available via AIRLINES. IATA. https://airlines.iata.org/sites/default/files/P16-17%20Data_Airlines%202019-05_Airlines.pdf. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

  3. 3.

    FlightGlobal (2020). Top 100 aerospace companies ranked by revenue. https://www.flightglobal.com/flight-international/top-100-aerospace-companies-ranked-by-revenue/140025.article. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

  4. 4.

    The examples were taken from www.airbus.com, www.boeing.com and www.lockheedmartin.com.

  5. 5.

    Rolls Royce (2020). Our research. https://www.rolls-royce.com/about/our-research.aspx. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

  6. 6.

    Airbus (2020). Be an Airbus supplier. https://www.airbus.com/be-an-airbus-supplier.html#overview. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

  7. 7.

    Boeing (2019). Supply chain at a glance 2019. Available via BOEING. https://www.boeingsuppliers.com/2019BoeingSupplyChaininfographic.pdf. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

  8. 8.

    The examples were taken from www.rolls-royce.com and www.prattwhitney.com.

  9. 9.

    Federal Aviation Administration (2020). FAA projections show the strength of US air travel demand. https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=95273. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

  10. 10.

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2020). NASA astronauts safely splash down after first commercial crew flight to space station. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-astronauts-safely-splash-down-after-first-commercial-crew-flight-to-space-station. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

  11. 11.

    United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2020). Online Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space. https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/osoindex/search-ng.jspx?lf_id. Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola de Enxeñaría Aeronáutica e do Espazo, Universidade de Vigo, Ourense, Spain

    Diego Carou

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  1. Diego Carou
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Carou, D. (2021). The Aerospace Sector. In: Aerospace and Digitalization. SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67849-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67849-4_2

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-67848-7

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