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Acta Astronautica is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal published monthly by Elsevier on behalf of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). Established in 1955 as Astronautica Acta and retitled in 1974, the journal serves as a premier venue for fundamental space physics, spacecraft engineering, space life sciences, and space policy. Operating as a hybrid journal, it allows researchers to publish under traditional zero-fee subscription or optional Gold Open Access.
What It Is
Acta Astronautica is the official archival journal of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). It provides an international forum for scholarly work covering the scientific exploration of space, the exploitation of space systems for human welfare, and the engineering of space-borne and ground-based facilities. Its registered ISO 4 title abbreviation is Acta Astronaut.
The journal bridges fundamental space sciences with practical aerospace engineering, publishing original research papers, authoritative survey articles, transaction notes, and selected proceedings from major astronautical conventions. Unlike general aeronautics periodicals that concentrate predominantly on atmospheric flight, Acta Astronautica focuses explicitly on spaceflight, astrodynamics, microgravity environments, and extraterrestrial exploration.
| Journal Specification | Official Detail |
|---|---|
| Official Journal Title | Acta Astronautica |
| ISO 4 Abbreviation | Acta Astronaut. |
| Sponsoring Organization | International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) |
| Publisher | Elsevier B.V. |
| Print ISSN | 0094-5765 |
| Electronic ISSN | 1879-2030 |
| Publishing Model | Hybrid Open Access (Subscription or Gold OA) |
| Gold Open Access APC | USD 2,950 (excluding local taxes) |
| Submission Platform | Elsevier Editorial Manager |
| Indexing Coverage | Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science), Scopus, Inspec |
Who Runs It and What It Covers
Acta Astronautica is sponsored by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), an independent non-governmental organization of space scientists and engineers founded in Stockholm in 1960. The journal’s editorial leadership is headed by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Zheng Hong (George) Zhu of York University (Canada), supported by a board of international co-editors and subject-matter area editors across Europe, North America, and Asia.
The journal’s scope encompasses six core technical domains within space exploration and astronautics:
- Space Physical Sciences: Basic research in space physics, celestial mechanics, planetary science, solar physics, cosmic radiation, and interplanetary physics.
- Space Technology and Engineering: Spacecraft systems design, astrodynamics, attitude dynamics and control, structural analysis, thermal management, space propulsion (chemical, electric, and advanced propulsion), space robotics, and materials.
- Space Life Sciences: Space medicine, human physiology in microgravity, radiation biology, life support systems (environmental control and life support systems, or ECLSS), and astrobiology.
- Space Operations and Utilization: Satellite constellation management, Earth observation infrastructure, space station utilization, geostationary and Lagrange point orbital operations, and deep-space communications.
- Space Policy, Law, and Economics: International space law, treaty compliance, space traffic management, planetary protection protocols, space commercialization economics, and scientific education.
- Congress and Symposium Proceedings: Selected peer-reviewed papers originating from the annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC) and specialized IAA symposia, as well as formal IAA Cosmic Studies and position papers.
How to Search or Use It
Researchers submitting to or searching within Acta Astronautica interact primarily with two platforms: ScienceDirect for literature discovery and the Elsevier Editorial Manager portal for manuscript submissions. For manuscript authors, the journal follows Elsevier’s “Your Paper Your Way” submission workflow, which streamlines initial peer-review evaluation while upholding rigorous research integrity criteria.
- Access the Editorial Manager Portal: Authors log into the official Acta Astronautica Editorial Manager workspace using an established Elsevier profile or connected ORCID identifier.
- Select Submission Track: Authors designate the appropriate article type (e.g., Regular Paper, Short Communication, Review Article, or designated IAC Congress contribution).
- Upload Initial Manuscript Files: Under the initial submission standard, authors can upload their manuscript as a single PDF or Microsoft Word file containing all embedded figures and tables. Line numbers and page numbers must be included to facilitate reviewer assessment.
- Specify Keywords and Classification Codes: Authors provide five to six specific keywords and select standard space engineering and physical sciences classifications from the journal’s predefined taxonomy.
- Complete Authorship and Ethics Declarations: The corresponding author must input individual contributor roles using the CRediT taxonomy and include the required Elsevier generative AI authorship declaration if artificial intelligence tools were employed during manuscript drafting or coding.
- Provide a Data Availability Statement: Authors must declare the status of their underlying experimental or simulation datasets, citing public repository DOIs or explicitly defining access terms.
- Format Numbered References: In accordance with the journal’s house style, citations must be numbered sequentially in square brackets (e.g., [1], [2, 3]) matching an unalphabetized numerical bibliography at the end of the manuscript. Journal titles should use ISO 4 abbreviations.
- Review and Approve PDF Proof: The system compiles the uploaded files into an official submission PDF, which the corresponding author must review and formally approve to initiate peer review.
Strengths and Limits
Evaluating Acta Astronautica for manuscript submission requires balancing its unique international backing against publisher constraints and turnaround timelines.
Strengths:
- Official IAA Heritage: Deep institutional credibility with direct ties to the global astronautical community and the International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
- Comprehensive Space Focus: Unlike broader aerospace engineering journals that lean heavily toward atmospheric aeronautics, every issue is devoted exclusively to space sciences and astronautical systems.
- Strong Indexing Footprint: Fully indexed in major indexing databases including Web of Science Core Collection (Science Citation Index Expanded) and Scopus.
- Dual Publishing Models: Authors without open-access grant funding can publish free of charge via the standard subscription route.
Limits:
- Open Access APC Cost: Authors who choose or are mandated to select Gold Open Access must pay an article publication charge of USD 2,950, unless covered by an institutional transformative agreement.
- Self-Archiving Embargoes: When publishing under the subscription route, sharing the author accepted manuscript in public institutional repositories is subject to Elsevier’s standard green open access embargo timeline.
- Strictly Space-Oriented Scope: Submissions focusing purely on terrestrial aeronautics, general combustion without space propulsion relevance, or atmospheric flight mechanics are typically rejected as out of scope.
Alternatives
Aerospace researchers assessing publication venues for space systems and orbital mechanics can consider several peer journals, each serving specific disciplinary niches.
| Journal | Publisher | Primary Scope & Focus | Review Model | Publishing & Access Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acta Astronautica | Elsevier B.V. | Astronautics, space science, propulsion, life sciences, and IAC congress papers | Single-blind peer review | Hybrid (Zero-fee subscription or USD 2,950 Gold OA APC) |
| Aerospace Science and Technology | Elsevier B.V. | Aeronautics, aircraft systems, flight mechanics, and space systems engineering | Single-blind peer review | Hybrid (Zero-fee subscription or Gold OA APC) |
| Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets | AIAA | Spacecraft design, launch systems, re-entry vehicles, and orbital operations | Single-blind peer review | Hybrid (Subscription or author-paid open access options) |
| Progress in Aerospace Sciences | Elsevier B.V. | Invited and comprehensive review papers across aeronautics and astronautics | Single-blind peer review | Hybrid (Zero-fee subscription or Gold OA APC) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ISO abbreviation for Acta Astronautica?
The official ISO 4 abbreviation for Acta Astronautica is Acta Astronaut. This abbreviation should be used in bibliographies and reference lists when citing articles published in the journal.
Is Acta Astronautica an open access journal?
Acta Astronautica operates as a hybrid journal rather than a pure open-access venue. Authors can choose between traditional subscription publication (which requires no article processing charge) and Gold Open Access (which requires payment of an APC of USD 2,950, making the final article immediately free to read globally).
Who publishes and sponsors Acta Astronautica?
Acta Astronautica is published monthly by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), an international non-governmental organization established in 1960 to foster space research and peaceful exploration.
What reference citation style is required by Acta Astronautica?
The journal requires a numbered citation format. Citations in the manuscript text must appear as bracketed numerals (such as [1] or [2, 3]) in the order they are referenced, corresponding to a sequentially ordered reference list at the conclusion of the paper.
Can papers from the International Astronautical Congress be published in Acta Astronautica?
Yes. Acta Astronautica regularly publishes select manuscripts presented at the annual International Astronautical Congress (IAC). Manuscripts must typically be expanded, revised, and subjected to the journal’s standard independent peer-review process before formal acceptance.
Sources
- Elsevier. (2026). Acta Astronautica: Aims and Scope, Guide for Authors, and Open Access Options. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/acta-astronautica (Read November 7, 2026).
- International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). (2026). Acta Astronautica: Official Journal and Editorial Structure. Available at: https://iaaspace.org/ (Read November 7, 2026).
- Elsevier. (2026). Article Publishing Charges (APC) and Journal Pricing: Acta Astronautica. Available at: https://www.elsevier.com/locate/actaastro (Read November 7, 2026).
