spacecraft

[ speys-kraft, -krahft ]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of spacecraft¹

First recorded in 1955–60; space + craft

Example Sentences

He and the rest of his entourage watched as the spacecraft aborted its second attempt to catch the returning booster at its launchpad and splashed into the Gulf of Mexico instead.

From Salon

The nearly 400-foot tall structure — which features the Starship spacecraft stacked on top of a Super Heavy booster — lifted off flawlessly at 2 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times

The rock and dust samples - the first to be retrieved from the far side of the Moon - were collected by the Chang’e-6 spacecraft, following a nearly two-month long mission which was fraught with risks.

From BBC

The measurements from the spacecraft’s instruments indicated that the planets and moons were inactive, unlike the other moons in the outer solar system.

From BBC

When the spacecraft ceased working a few years later, gravity might have been expected to pull it even further to the east, out over the Indian Ocean.

From BBC

Related Words

• rocket
• shuttle
• space capsule
• space probe