spacecraft

[speys-kraft, -krahft]

noun

plural

spacecraft 

1. a vehicle designed for travel or operation in space beyond the earth's atmosphere or in orbit around the earth.

spacecraft

/ ˈspeɪsˌkrɑːft /

noun

1. a manned or unmanned vehicle designed to orbit the earth or travel to celestial objects for the purpose of research, exploration, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of spacecraft¹

First recorded in 1955–60; space + craft

Example Sentences

There is also a plan to send a spacecraft to Saturn's moon Enceladus, which scientists suspect could have a liquid ocean under its icy shell that might even have the ability to host life.

Read more on Barron's

China conducted an urgent unmanned spacecraft launch on Tuesday, after damage to a previous mission's return capsule left the crew on its space station without a means of getting back to Earth.

Read more on Barron's

It will be an uncrewed mission, carrying cargo to the ISS, potentially paving the way for the spacecraft to be used for future astronaut missions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“It’s exactly what you do with a spacecraft.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The object is the planned 2031 destination for Japan's Hayabusa2 extended mission, and the updated measurements provide essential details for planning spacecraft operations only six years before the encounter.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• rocket 
• shuttle 
• space capsule 
• space probe