The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word ASTRONAUTICS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "a branch of science" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a branch of science = astronautics.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ASTRONAUTICS mean?
ASTRONAUTICS noun- Navigation through space.
- The science and technology of spaceflight.