orbiter

American  

[awr-bi-ter] / ˈɔr bɪ tər /

noun

U.S. Aerospace.

1. Also called space shuttle orbiter.  the crew- and payload-carrying component of the space shuttle.

2. a space probe designed to orbit a planetary body or moon.

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orbiter British  

/ ˈɔːbɪtə /

noun

1. a spacecraft or satellite designed to orbit a planet or other body without landing on it Compare lander

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Etymology

Origin of orbiter

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55; orbit + -er ¹

Example Sentences

We should think of Mars, he argues, as the first “machine-occupied” planet, given that it is already home to the numerous orbiters and rovers we sent there.

From The Wall Street Journal

Saving JPL’s signature planetary science missions like the Mars rovers and Jupiter orbiters is more challenging.

From Los Angeles Times

Both orbiters used their onboard cameras to track the comet's motion.

From Science Daily

“The Mars rover and orbiter data is fully available to the public,” Valentinas said.

From Salon

October’s supermoon will be slightly closer than September’s, according to Noah Petro, a lunar reconnaissance orbiter project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

From Los Angeles Times