航空航天 (hángkōng hángtiān) — aerospace
HSK 8 | noun | aerospace; the combined fields of aviation and space exploration
航空航天 (hángkōng hángtiān)
航空航天 refers to the combined disciplines of aeronautics and astronautics, encompassing the design, development, and operation of aircraft and spacecraft. As a compound noun, 航空 (aviation) and 航天 (space travel) are frequently used separately but combine to denote the overarching industry and academic field at the highest technical registers.
Meanings
- [noun] aerospace; the integrated field covering both atmospheric flight (aviation) and space exploration
Example Sentences
中国航空航天工业近年来取得了重大突破。 Zhōngguó hángkōng hángtiān gōngyè jìn nián lái qǔdéle zhòngdà tūpò. China's aerospace industry has achieved major breakthroughs in recent years.
该大学设有航空航天工程专业博士点。 Gāi dàxué shè yǒu hángkōng hángtiān gōngchéng zhuānyè bóshì diǎn. The university offers a doctoral program in aerospace engineering.
航空航天材料的强度与重量比至关重要。 Hángkōng hángtiān cáiliào de qiángdù yǔ zhòngliàng bǐ zhìguān zhòngyào. The strength-to-weight ratio of aerospace materials is critically important.
他在国家航空航天局担任首席科学家职务。 Tā zài guójiā hángkōng hángtiān jú dānrèn shǒuxí kēxuéjiā zhíwù. He serves as chief scientist at the national aerospace agency.
航空航天技术的民用转化推动了多个产业发展。 Hángkōng hángtiān jìshù de mínyòng zhuǎnhuà tuīdòngle duō gè chǎnyè fāzhǎn. The civilian transfer of aerospace technology has driven development across multiple industries.
新型推进系统的研发是航空航天领域的核心课题。 Xīnxíng tuījìn xìtǒng de yánfā shì hángkōng hángtiān lǐngyù de héxīn kètí. The development of new propulsion systems is a core research topic in the aerospace field.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 航空航天工业 | aerospace industry |
| 航空航天工程 | aerospace engineering |
| 航空航天技术 | aerospace technology |
| 航空航天材料 | aerospace materials |
| 航空航天局 | aerospace agency |
Usage Notes
In technical Chinese, 航空 and 航天 are often used independently: 航空 refers specifically to flight within the atmosphere (civil and military aviation), while 航天 denotes activities beyond the atmosphere (satellites, manned spaceflight, probes). The compound 航空航天 is used when the context encompasses both domains, particularly in institutional names, engineering curricula, and policy documents. Professionals in the field will often specify which subdomain they mean.
In academic writing, 航空航天 frequently precedes technical nouns such as 工程 (engineering), 材料 (materials), 推进 (propulsion), and 导航 (navigation). It carries strong connotations of high-tech national strategic importance in Chinese discourse.
Memory Hook
航 means "navigate/sail" — 航空 navigates the air, 航天 navigates the heavens (天). Together they cover the full vertical range of human flight.