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space shuttle
noun
: a reusable spacecraft designed to transport people and cargo between earth and space
Examples of space shuttle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The delay comes roughly a decade after NASA awarded Boeing a more than $4 billion contract as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program, which pays private companies to ferry astronauts to and from the space station after the space shuttle was retired in 2011.
—John Helton, NPR, 18 May 2024
As the group cheers accelerating out of their small Oregon town, the film’s sound mix grows into the furious turbulence of a space shuttle breaking out of the Earth’s atmosphere.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for space shuttle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'space shuttle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1950, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near space shuttle
Cite this Entry
“Space shuttle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/space%20shuttle. Accessed 30 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
space shuttle
noun
: a spacecraft designed to transport people and cargo between earth and space that can be used repeatedly
More from Merriam-Webster on space shuttle
Nglish: Translation of space shuttle for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about space shuttle
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