spacecraft
Americannoun
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spacecraft
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of spacecraft
Explanation
A spacecraft is a vehicle designed to travel beyond Earth's atmosphere. In 1969, the Apollo 11 lunar module was the first crewed spacecraft to land on the Moon. Rockets, space shuttles, satellites, and the International Space Station are all examples of spacecraft. Any machine, device, or vehicle that's designed to travel in outer space falls into this category, whether or not it carries humans. Spacecraft is a more scientific term than spaceship — but both words were originally used in 19th- and 20th-century science fiction.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
FALCON's ability to determine its own orbit represents a first for a spacecraft navigating with optical cameras based on its position relative to other objects in space.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
Together, these tools enable GPS-independent navigation while also helping the spacecraft track activity and objects in its surroundings.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
Artemis II served as a major test of the spacecraft and its systems with humans on board.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
The flight marked the first time astronauts had traveled aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft, which is designed to carry crews on missions beyond low Earth orbit.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
Then you would launch a smaller manned spacecraft from that mother ship, and the smaller craft would fly to the moon.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
