airspace
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airspace
The area in the atmosphere above a state's territory that is subject to its sovereignty and whose use is controlled.
Das fremde Flugzeug hat den deutschen Luftraum verletzt.
The foreign aircraft violated German airspace.
The word is a clear compound of 'die Luft' (air) and 'der Raum' (space). So it literally describes a space in the air.
Über den Wolken ist der Luftraum frei.
Above the clouds, the airspace is clear.
In political and military contexts, 'Luftraum' is often used with specific verbs. Typical phrases are 'den Luftraum verletzen' (to violate the airspace), 'den Luftraum sperren' (to close the airspace), or 'den Luftraum überwachen' (to monitor the airspace).
Wegen des Vulkanausbruchs wurde der Luftraum über der Insel gesperrt.
Because of the volcanic eruption, the airspace over the island was closed.
The meaning of a state's sovereign territory is usually made clear by the mention of a country or by a military or legal context. Without this context, it often means the general space in the air.
Das unbemannte Flugobjekt drang in den polnischen Luftraum ein.
The unmanned flying object entered Polish airspace.
sky / heaven
'der Himmel' and 'der Luftraum' can both refer to the area above the earth. 'der Himmel' is the normal everyday word for what you see when you look up. 'der Luftraum' sounds more technical and means the space in the air, especially when airplanes, drones, or government rules are important. For this reason, the words can be confused in sentences about something above us. When talking about weather, colors, or clouds, 'Himmel' is natural. When talking about flying, control, or safety, 'Luftraum' is more precise.
Wegen des Sturms wurde der Luftraum über dem Flughafen kurz gesperrt.
Because of the storm, the airspace above the airport was briefly closed.
Nach dem Regen war der Himmel über der Stadt wieder hellblau.
After the rain, the sky above the city was light blue again.