space probe

noun

1. Aerospace. an unmanned spacecraft designed to explore the solar system and transmit data back to earth.

space probe

noun

1. a vehicle, such as a satellite, equipped to obtain scientific information, normally transmitted back to earth by radio, about the atmosphere, surface, and temperature of a planet, conditions in space, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of space probe¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

A space probe on its way to orbit Mercury just sent home a spooky selfie with Venus, captured during a flyby of the second planet from the sun.

From Popular-Science

Last week, the US space agency tapped the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket to launch a space probe to one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa, in 2024.

From Quartz

To navigate the solar system today, space probes listen for signals from antennas on Earth and then bounce those signals back.

From Science News

Exactly what space probe sat in the lumber yard that night is still unclear.

From MIT Technology Review

Related Words

• spy satellite