orbiter

noun

or·​bit·​er ˈȯr-bə-tər 

: one that orbits: such as

a

: a spacecraft designed to orbit a celestial body without landing on its surface

b

: space shuttle

Examples of orbiter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The first of those missions is a Mars science and telecommunications orbiter mission planned for late 2028. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 June 2026

Beyond offering a final glimpse of the orbiter, any successful observation could provide investigators with additional clues about the spacecraft's final movements. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 17 June 2026

Three other Mars orbiters provide similar communications relay service. —William Harwood, CBS News, 3 June 2026

The orbiter helped relay information from NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers back to Earth during surface operations. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

orbit entry 3 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

orbiter

noun

or·​bit·​er ˈȯr-bət-ər 

1

: one that orbits

2

: space shuttle