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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of spacecraft

First recorded in 1955–60; space + craft

Example Sentences

Electrical discharges could interfere with sensitive electronics aboard robotic spacecraft and may pose hazards for future human missions if not properly managed.

From Science Daily

These include missions such as the European Space Agency's Euclid spacecraft and observations from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.

From Science Daily

With 11 Starship missions under its belt, SpaceX is planning future flights that would take the spacecraft over Florida, Mexico and North Atlantic airplane routes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Because the comet's trajectory placed it between Europa Clipper and the Sun, the spacecraft had an unusual vantage point.

From Science Daily

A new examination of spacecraft data collected more than ten years ago suggests that Saturn's largest moon, Titan, probably does not contain a massive ocean beneath its frozen surface, as scientists once believed.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• rocket
• shuttle
• space capsule
• space probe