Physics-Informed Neural Networks in Aerospace Engineering: A Systematic Review of Architectures, Training Strategies, and Open Challenges

This paper provides a systematic synthesis of recent developments in physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) applied to aerospace engineering, with an emphasis on their role in physically consistent surrogate modeling, forward simulation, and inverse parameter estimation. Using a PRISMA-based methodology, the study surveys peer-reviewed works published between 2017 and 2025 across aviation- and space-related domains, including aerodynamics, structural mechanics, aeroelasticity, propulsion, control, structural health monitoring, satellite-orbit prediction, space-debris collision avoidance, and spacecraft radiation-impact modeling. The analysis shows that embedding governing equations, boundary conditions, and observational data into composite loss functions enables PINNs to improve predictive consistency, reduce dependence on dense simulation or experimental datasets, and support parameter identification under sparse or noisy measurements. Attention is given to architectural variants such as XPINNs, cPINNs, gPINNs, operator-learning approaches, and hybrid PINN-CFD/FEM formulations, as well as to training strategies based on adaptive sampling, domain decomposition, transfer learning, and dynamic loss weighting. Reported benefits include reduced approximation error, improved convergence in selected high-gradient or multiphysics problems, and enhanced interpretability compared with purely data-driven models. At the same time, the review identifies persistent open challenges, including scalability to large aerospace domains, sensitivity to loss-weighting and collocation strategies, limited robustness under noise and uncertainty, high computational cost, and the lack of standardized aerospace benchmarks. Overall, the review highlights PINNs as a promising but still developing framework for fast, interpretable, and physically consistent modeling of aircraft and spacecraft systems.