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

For years, the rover ascended a feature called Mount Sharp within the crater, aiming to reach clay-rich layers that orbiters circling the planet had spied. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026

Informed by models of oceans on Earth, California Institute of Technology geologists Abdallah Zaki and Michael Lamb studied topographic data of Mars taken by orbiters to find a flat band of land like a continental shelf, suggesting an ocean once roiled in the Martian northern hemisphere. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026

Europe's Mars orbiter has captured high-resolution images of an ancient sea bed on the Red Planet, revealing that Mars' appearance can change over a matter of decades. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026

The orbiter is still operating around Mars today, returning scientific data and serving as a communications relay for NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 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