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

The vehicles measure about 29 feet (9 meters) long, roughly one-quarter the length of one of NASA's space shuttle orbiters. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2025

So far, only unmanned rovers and orbiters have made it to the Red Planet. —Davis Winkie, USA TODAY, 20 Jan. 2025

Related: Private Blue Ghost lander spotted on the moon by NASA lunar orbiter (photo) Blue Ghost is carrying 10 NASA experiments designed to investigate the surface of the moon. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2025

The orbiters that carried the radar hardware, along with one or two others, have been orbiting long enough that any major changes in Mars' gravity caused by ice accumulation or crustal displacement would have shown up in their orbital behavior. —Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025

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