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

Sometime during the night on Earth, the Curiosity rover finished its day exploring on Mars and beamed its latest collection of images and measurements to a Mars orbiter zooming by overhead. — Ashwin R. Vasavada, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Consisting of a lunar orbiter, lander, rover, and a mini-hopper of a probe, the mission was due to launch as early as Sunday on a Long March 5 rocket. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Aug. 2026

The moon is about 14,913 miles (24,000 kilometers) from the Martian surface, and orbiters have observed it since the 1970s — including a recent flyby of the European Space Agency’s Hera mission in March 2025. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

The orbiter will carry a particle detector that will be Thailand’s first piece of space hardware to leave Earth orbit and will measure incoming particles from around the solar system. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

orbit entry 2 + -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