spacecraft
Americannoun
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.
Waiving such environmental protection requirements would allow approvals to be expedited "to launch rockets, reenter spacecraft, and operate launch and reentry sites," the FAA said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The FAA expects 214 launches or spacecraft reentries during the current government fiscal year, a number expected to jump to more than 500 in a decade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Psyche's magnetometer has been operating since the spacecraft launched in 2023.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
The observatory has been responsible for helping identify objects like supermassive black holes, discovering new galaxies and tracking spacecraft.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
I found myself unconsciously urging the spacecraft at least to stand on its tiptoes, as if this laboratory, designed for immobility, were perversely refusing to manage even a little hop.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
