spacecraft

American  

[speys-kraft, -krahft] / ˈspeɪsˌkræft, -ˌkrɑft /

noun

plural

spacecraft

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

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spacecraft British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of spacecraft

First recorded in 1955–60; space + craft

Example Sentences

He said sending the Orion capsule - which is the spacecraft that the astronauts will travel to the Moon in - and a lunar lander into low-Earth orbit first would reduce risks.

From BBC

Although NASA's Cassini spacecraft transformed our understanding of Saturn during its 13 year mission, it also uncovered new puzzles, including the surprisingly young age of Saturn's rings and Titan's shifting orbit.

From Science Daily

Earlier this week, the US space agency rolled back its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft off the launchpad to investigate its problems and make necessary repairs.

From Barron's

That revenue comes from a combination of Rocket Lab’s work both launching its rockets and developing satellites and spacecraft components.

From MarketWatch

The spacecraft will perform 49 close flybys to determine whether environments beneath the surface could support life.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• rocket
• shuttle
• space capsule
• space probe