spacecraft

noun

space·​craft ˈspās-ˌkraft 

: 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

These will be the first members of a new megaconstellation in low Earth orbit (LEO), which Elon Musk has said will eventually consist of 100,000 spacecraft. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026

SpaceX has designed its Starship Super Heavy rocket and booster to be fully reusable, and to lift more cargo for less cost into orbit than any prior spacecraft. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Link launched on July 3 but quickly ran into electronic problems that took out two of the three reaction wheels needed to turn the spacecraft. — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026

The example shows how SpaceX can recover the booster from a crew launch and prepare it for a subsequent mission, while the spacecraft carrying the astronauts continues on its own. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spacecraft

• allograft
• autograft
• autographed
• countershaft
• handicraft
• homograft
• hovercraft
• lithographed
• overdraft
• photographed
• rotorcraft
• telegraphed

Kids Definition

spacecraft

noun

space·​craft ˈspā-ˌskraft 

plural spacecraft

: a vehicle for travel beyond the earth's atmosphere