spacecraft

American  

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

noun

• spacecraft
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• spacecraft
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of spacecraft

First recorded in 1955–60; space + craft

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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

See Examples For:

spacecraft

Sentinel-3C is the third spacecraft in Europe's Sentinel-3 satellite series, a central part of the Copernicus Earth observation program.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Fortastra, a Torrance, Calif.-headquartered startup building maneuverable spacecraft for on-orbit security, closed a $30 million Series A investment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The spacecraft was then hoisted onto a specialized ship, and the four occupants -- Meir, American Jack Hathaway, French astronaut Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev -- were helped out one by one.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

Hench pointed to two newer business lines as having excellent prospects for long-term growth — cryogenic tanks used in spacecraft and equipment used in the nuclear-power generation.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

The sky was filled with aircars and spacecraft, and the planet's simulated sun was just beginning to set.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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Related Words

• rocket
• shuttle
• space capsule
• space probe

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