The aerospace manufacturing and defense industry comprises the manufacturing of aircraft, space vehicles, engines and parts, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. Aerospace manufacturing can be segmented into defense and commercial aerospace manufacturing.

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, or spacecraft. Aerospace is a high technology industry.

The aerospace industry is engaged in the research, development, and manufacture of flight vehicles, including unpowered gliders and sailplanes (see gliding), uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), lighter-than-air craft (see balloon; airship), heavier-than-air craft (both fixed-wing and rotary-wing; see airplane; military aircraft), missiles (see rocket and missile system), space launch vehicles, and spacecraft (crewed and uncrewed).