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Nonprofit · El Segundo · United States

The Aerospace Corporation

In research, The Aerospace Corporation stands highest in Physical Sciences (#6,570 of 12,888 worldwide), Engineering (#4,411 of 6,636 worldwide) and Aerospace Engineering (#714 of 795 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Aerospace Engineering and Physics and Astronomy — Astronomy and Astrophysics is 25.5× its share of world research.

aerospace.orgROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#12,344
of 28,054 · #769 all time
Rank in United States
#1,679
of 4,192
Research works
11k
▼ 10% vs 2013–17
Citations
172k
15.9 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
9.1%
record average 16.5%
Open access
10%
world 28%

What is The Aerospace Corporation known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #6,570 of 12,888 8.9%362 #520
EngineeringField #4,411 of 6,636 8.8%210 #303
Aerospace EngineeringSubfield #714 of 795 17.0%82 #96
Physics and AstronomyField #1,600 of 1,646 9.4%79 #464

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where The Aerospace Corporation sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Physical Sciences#520 #6,570
  2. Engineering#303 #4,411
  3. Aerospace Engineering#96 #714
  4. Physics and Astronomy#464 #1,600
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does The Aerospace Corporation specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Astronomy and Astrophysics takes 25.5× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 54.2 works26×
  2. Aerospace EngineeringSubfield · 81.5 works17×
  3. Physics and AstronomyField · 78.8 works8.7×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.06× its world share, 1 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.20× its world share, 4 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Neuroscience: 0.04× its world share, 0 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.02× its world share, 0 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.58× its world share, 1 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.25× its world share, 2 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.81× its world share, 26 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2.13× its world share, 14 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.50× its world share, 2 worksEnergyEngineering: 3.42× its world share, 210 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.49× its world share, 10 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 1.25× its world share, 18 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.54× its world share, 3 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 8.68× its world share, 79 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 0.17× its world share, 2 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.14× its world share, 11 worksMedicineNursing: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 0.11× its world share, 1 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.48× its world share, 6 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 2.04× its world share, 8 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.20× its world share, 2 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.22× its world share, 3 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.13× its world share, 7 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Physics and Astronomy, 8.7×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at The Aerospace Corporation?

Ranked on the composite score, Rajiv Kohli, Donald Spencer and Steven C. Moss lead among researchers whose main affiliation is The Aerospace Corporation.

  1. 1 Rajiv Kohli United States · #10,431 worldwide 572 citations · 59 works
  2. 2 Donald Spencer United States · #57,505 worldwide 291 citations · 37 works
  3. 3 Steven C. Moss United States · #60,387 worldwide 396 citations · 60 works
  4. 4 T. P. O’Brien United States · #113,372 worldwide 383 citations · 69 works
  5. 5 William T. Lotshaw United States · #132,964 worldwide 303 citations · 39 works
  6. 6 Seymour Siegel United States · #178,403 worldwide 118 citations · 21 works
  7. 7 R. Koga United States · #207,835 worldwide 164 citations · 32 works
  8. 8 Michael R. Chernick United States · #252,810 worldwide 98 citations · 21 works
  9. 9 J. Bannister United States · #278,367 worldwide 102 citations · 17 works
  10. 10 Peter Jones United States · #282,658 worldwide 59 citations · 37 works
All ranked researchers at The Aerospace Corporation

Which keywords describe research at The Aerospace Corporation?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Thermal Analysis, CubeSat, small satellite, Orbit Determination, On-Orbit Servicing, Space Debris, Solar Wind and Risk Assessment.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Thermal Analysis24▲ 45×2 topics
  2. CubeSat23▲ 306×1 topic
  3. small satellite23▲ 306×1 topic
  4. Orbit Determination20▲ 116×2 topics
  5. On-Orbit Servicing16▲ 177×1 topic
  6. Space Debris16▲ 177×1 topic
  7. Solar Wind15▲ 40×2 topics
  8. Risk Assessment15▲ 5.3×6 topics
  9. Mechanical Properties12▲ 3.1×14 topics
  10. Space Policy12▲ 198×1 topic
  11. Space Tourism12▲ 198×1 topic
  12. Electron Acceleration10▲ 36×2 topics
  13. Ionosphere10▲ 44×1 topic
  14. Magnetosphere10▲ 44×1 topic
  15. Additive Manufacturing10▲ 7.6×3 topics
  16. Solar System Abundances9▲ 44×1 topic
  17. Terrestrial Planets9▲ 44×1 topic
  18. Nanoelectronics7▲ 20×2 topics
  19. Simulation7▲ 6.8×3 topics
  20. Biomechanics7▲ 5.6×3 topics
  21. Space Exploration7▲ 38×2 topics
  22. Polymer Composites7▲ 6.1×5 topics
  23. Astrobiology6▲ 54×1 topic
  24. Complex Adaptive Systems6▲ 55×2 topics
  25. Extraterrestrial Life6▲ 74×1 topic
  26. Product Development6▲ 28×2 topics
  27. Extravehicular Activity6▲ 176×1 topic
  28. Space Suit6▲ 176×1 topic
  29. Cognitive Radio6▲ 41×2 topics
  30. System Maturity6▲ 68×1 topic
  31. Technology Readiness Levels6▲ 68×1 topic
  32. LEO Satellite Constellation6▲ 47×1 topic
  33. Mars6▲ 43×1 topic
  34. Martian Surface6▲ 43×1 topic
  35. Model-Based Systems Engineering6▲ 196×1 topic
  36. Satellite Communications6▲ 47×1 topic
  37. Value-Driven Design6▲ 196×1 topic
  38. CMOS Technology6▲ 17×3 topics
  39. Fault Tolerance5▲ 8.5×4 topics
  40. Radiation Effects5▲ 29×2 topics

Which research topics does The Aerospace Corporation publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Spacecraft Design and Technology, Space Satellite Systems and Control, Space exploration and regulation and Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics.

Spacecraft Design and Te…23Spacecraft Design and Technology: 23 fractional worksSpace Satellite Systems and Control: 16 fractional worksSpace exploration and regulation: 12 fractional worksIonosphere and magnetosphere dynamics: 10 fractional worksAstro and Planetary Science: 9 fractional worksSpace Science and Extrat…6Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life: 6 fractional worksSpace Exploration and Technology: 6 fractional worksTechnology Assessment and Management: 6 fractional worksSystems Engineering Methodologies and Applications: 6 fractional worksPlanetary Science and Exploration: 6 fractional works
Aerospace EngineeringAstronomy and AstrophysicsSafety, Risk, Reliability and QualityControl and Systems Engineering

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Spacecraft Design and Technology Aerospace Engineering 23 works
  2. 2 Space Satellite Systems and Control Aerospace Engineering 16 works
  3. 3 Space exploration and regulation Astronomy and Astrophysics 12 works
  4. 4 Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics Astronomy and Astrophysics 10 works
  5. 5 Astro and Planetary Science Astronomy and Astrophysics 9 works
  6. 6 Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life Astronomy and Astrophysics 6 works
  7. 7 Space Exploration and Technology Aerospace Engineering 6 works
  8. 8 Technology Assessment and Management Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality 6 works
  9. 9 Systems Engineering Methodologies and Applications Control and Systems Engineering 6 works
  10. 10 Planetary Science and Exploration Astronomy and Astrophysics 6 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available10.4%not open89.6%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors3.5%domestic only96.5%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has The Aerospace Corporation's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 10% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in El Segundo

All research institutions in El Segundo

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.