spacecraft

noun

space·​craft ˈspās-ˌkraft How to pronounce spacecraft (audio)
: a vehicle or device designed for travel or operation outside the earth's atmosphere

Examples of spacecraft in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the planning stages of the two-part Viking mission, which landed spacecraft on Mars in the mid-seventies, Sagan argued that the probes should include lights and cameras, in case creatures scurried past. David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025 Instead, their Boeing Starliner spacecraft had issues, causing NASA to bring the vehicle back to Earth without the two astronauts, who would stay behind in space — and as time went by, delay after delay extended their visit, leaving the nation riveted. Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025 Sierra Space is exploring how to design spacecraft for people who would never have been selected as astronauts in the past, including those with chronic illnesses or sensory impairments. Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025 But instruments onboard the spacecraft weren't designed to distinguish between molecules forged in the moon's presumably deep ocean and those cooked up in the icy shell. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spacecraft

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spacecraft was in 1929

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spacecraft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spacecraft. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

spacecraft

noun
space·​craft ˈspā-ˌskraft How to pronounce spacecraft (audio)
plural spacecraft
: a vehicle for travel beyond the earth's atmosphere

More from Merriam-Webster on spacecraft

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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