The term "astronautics" was first thought to be the theory and practice of navigation beyond Earth's atmosphere. It was coined by analogy with aeronautics, as there is a certain degree of technology overlap between the two fields.

The term "aerospace" is often used to include both fields. There are several common technological concerns and restrictions such as those on mass, temperature and external force. In space, equipment must survive extreme conditions such as a high-grade vacuum, radiation bombardment and the effects of magnetic fields.

The field of astronautics began with Isaac Newton's 1687 treatise, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. Other early contributions in the 18th and 19th centuries came from Leonhard Euler and Joseph Louis Lagrange. The theories needed for space flight were established early, but practical applications were not possible until the mid-20th century.

Today, there are many professionals working in important space-related positions who have not had formal training in astronautics. Launchspace has developed special short courses for those professionals who need to be conversant with key aspects of space flight, launch vehicles and in-orbit operations. See the partial list of course offerings that Launchspace can bring to your facility.