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

Two orbiters that have been studying Mars for years — Mars Odyssey and MAVEN — would be cancelled, as would NASA's cooperation on Rosalind Franklin, a life-hunting rover that the European Space Agency plans to launch toward the Red Planet in 2028. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 31 May 2025

These include a small orbiter for NASA called Trailblazer, which seeks to map the distribution of water on the Moon. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 9 Jan. 2025

The orbiter detaches from the booster rocket section, just like the real thing, gliding down to Earth while the parachutes keep the booster section safe on its descent. —Ian Stokes, Space.com, 23 May 2025

And the costly orbiters, once out of film, went into the celestial junkyard. —William J. Broad, New York Times, 19 May 2025

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