lander

American  

[lan-der] / ˈlæn dər /

noun

1. a space probe designed to land on a planet or other solid celestial body.

---

lander British  

/ ˈlændə /

noun

1. a spacecraft designed to land on a planet or other body Compare orbiter

---

Etymology

Origin of lander

First recorded in 1960–65; land + -er ¹

Example Sentences

And Odysseus was the first privately funded lander to make a soft landing on the lunar surface.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

By recreating these harsh conditions on Earth, engineers were able to evaluate how the lander performs in flight-like environments.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

That feat was achieved by Armstrong's "one small step" off his lunar lander - job done.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Some current and former spaceflight officials are skeptical that the Starship lander will be ready for that operation, given the amount of development work ahead and the relatively tight time frame.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

This means the Hab itself would block any transmissions if the lander were inside.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir