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

In 2019, the country launched the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, which carried the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Whatever happened to Maven last December was only the second time in the 21st century that NASA had lost contact with an orbiter during otherwise ordinary operations. — Margaret Landis, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026

Japan and Europe launched orbiters to Venus in 2005 and 2010 with instruments tuned to study the planet’s atmosphere. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

To confirm the discovery, the team turned to sharp, close-up images captured by the orbiter’s Narrow-Angle Camera, which also enabled researchers to measure the crater’s shape, size and impact to the surrounding terrain. — CNN Money, 21 Sep. 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