space station

American  

noun

1. an orbiting manned structure that can be used for a variety of purposes, as to assemble or service satellites, refuel spacecraft, etc.

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space station British  

noun

1. Also called: space platform.   space laboratory.  any large manned artificial satellite designed to orbit the earth during a long period of time thus providing a base for scientific and medical research in space and a construction site, launch pad, and docking arrangements for spacecraft

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space station Cultural  

1. A structure being assembled in space by an international partnership led by NASA. The space station will be a permanent habitat at which scientific and technological work can be carried out. Building a space station is considered the next step in the development and exploration of space, although there is controversy concerning its cost and the value of the research that will be carried out there.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• space-station
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of space station

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Since 2021, China has been sending astronauts to its Tiangong space station on six-month stays.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

The company's next milestone was space station delivery: Its Dragon spacecraft reached the International Space Station in 2012, later becoming the first private spaceflight company to send a crew to space.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Throughout the 2010s, American astronauts reached the space station by hitching rides on Russian Soyuz rockets, until a burgeoning private-sector spaceflight industry stepped in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Most notably, the agency scrapped long-standing plans to build a space station orbiting the moon, called Gateway.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

It was the first permanent space station, staying in orbit for 13 years, until the opening of the International Space Station.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson