Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering.

An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. Aerospace is a high technology industry. In the European Union, aerospace companies such as Airbus Group, BAE Systems, Thales, Dassault, Saab AB, and Finmeccanica are participants in the global aerospace industry and research effort.