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.
The $1 billion spacecraft completed its latest close flyby on Oct. 23, 2024, dipping close to its poles, the first mission to do so. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 The spacecraft, about the size of a microwave oven, unfurled its sail—which billowed out to 860 square feet—in late August. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024 The mission will deploy three spacecraft that will scour the universe, separated by about 1.5 million miles while flying in a triangular formation. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024 The planet is so remote that the Voyager 2 mission, the only spacecraft to have paid a visit, took 12 years to arrive there from Earth. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near spacecraft

Cite this Entry

“Spacecraft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spacecraft. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!