spacecraft

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'spacecraft' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a vehicle or machine designed for space travel, such as a rocket. For example, "The Apollo 11 mission involved a spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to the moon."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The tour of the Refshaleøen island industrial site takes visitors around the creative hubs emerging in the otherwise derelict area, including the world's only civilian spacecraft laboratory, a trendy restaurant and a children's theatre.

The Guardian - Travel

Scheduled to reach its target on 14 July, New Horizons has already covered more than three billion miles since its launch, a distance that means signals from the spacecraft now take about 4.5 hours to reach our planet.

The Guardian

Scientists in the Rosetta mission made space history this week by safely landing a robotic spacecraft on a comet.

The Guardian

That would leave NASA free to conduct robotic, science-focused missions elsewhere in the solar system.Of course, commercial firms have long built spacecraft for NASA.

The Economist

The spacecraft was six billion kilometres away at the time and the image it sent back was memorably described by Carl Sagan as a "pale blue dot".

The Economist

Dr Longmier believes his technology can beat NASA to the Moon without the use of an additional spacecraft to carry the CubeSats there.

The Economist

On the other hand, a failure to detect supersymmetry at the new operating energies and some scientists think the lhc should already have seen some hint of it, during its earlier operating cycle will be no less fascinating.Looking a little farther out to the very edge of the solar system the last planet to be discovered around our sun will get a visit from a spacecraft.

The Economist

Mr Obama's White House, by contrast, has pushed for NASA to contract with commercial space firms such as SpaceX, Orbital Sciences, Blue Origin and the Sierra Nevada Corporation to develop rockets and spacecraft capable of flying astronauts at least as far as the ISS by 2017 or 2018.

The Economist

Such a mighty progress would have scattered smaller bodies hither and yon; things that started off close together could easily have ended up as far apart as Ceres and Pluto today.As it happens, a few months before New Horizons flashes past Pluto, a much slower spacecraft called Dawn will slip sedately into orbit around Ceres and begin a long programme of observations.

The Economist

Traditionalists counter that they at least grant NASA ownership of the intellectual property associated with the spacecraft in question.The result was a compromise: Congress got about $3 billion a year to pay for the SLS (called the Senate Launch System by critics) and a spacecraft left over from the Bush era plan called Orion.

The Economist

The White House, meanwhile, got about $400m a year to help the private sector develop spacecraft of their own to fly NASA astronauts to the ISS.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about space exploration, ensure you choose the most precise term. "Spacecraft" is a general term, but using more specific terms like "lander", "orbiter", or "probe" can enhance clarity.

Common error

A common mistake is using the term "spacecraft" interchangeably with "satellite". A "satellite" is any object orbiting a celestial body, while a "spacecraft" is a vehicle designed for space travel, which may or may not be a satellite.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "spacecraft" is as a noun, serving as the subject or object within a sentence to denote a vehicle designed for space travel. This is clearly demonstrated in Ludwig's examples, where "spacecraft" is frequently used to describe vehicles such as the Rosetta mission's robotic spacecraft.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

31%

Formal & Business

31%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "spacecraft" is a common and grammatically correct noun referring to a vehicle designed for space travel. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is usable in written English and frequently appears in news, science, and business contexts. While "spaceship" is a similar term, "spacecraft" is often preferred in technical and formal contexts. To enhance clarity, it is crucial to avoid confusing "spacecraft" with "satellite". The usage examples highlight its prevalence in discussions about space missions, technologies, and the exploration of our solar system.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

spaceship

A more general term for a vehicle designed for space travel.

space vehicle

A broader term encompassing any vehicle designed for use in outer space.

space shuttle

Specifically refers to a reusable spacecraft designed to transport crew and cargo.

interplanetary probe

Spacecraft designed for exploration beyond Earth orbit.

orbital vehicle

A spacecraft designed to maintain an orbit around a celestial body.

ballistic capsule

Refers to a spacecraft designed to re-enter the atmosphere using a ballistic trajectory.

lunar module

Specific component of a spacecraft designed for landing on the moon.

space station module

Component of the International Space Station.

extraterrestrial craft

Vehicles from space, not of earth origin.

rocket

A vehicle propelled by jet propulsion for moving out of earth atmosphere.

FAQs

How can I use "spacecraft" in a sentence?

You can use "spacecraft" to refer to vehicles designed for space travel. For example, "The mission required a new type of spacecraft." or "Scientists successfully landed a robotic "spacecraft" on a comet."

What is the difference between a "spacecraft" and a spaceship?

While often used interchangeably, "spaceship" is a more general term, while "spacecraft" is more technical and encompasses a broader range of vehicles designed for space, including unmanned probes and satellites.

What's the difference between a "spacecraft" and a "satellite"?

A "spacecraft" is a vehicle designed for space travel. A "satellite" is any object orbiting a celestial body. A spacecraft may become a satellite once it achieves orbit.

Which is the proper plural form, "spacecrafts" or "spacecraft"?

"Spacecraft" is both the singular and plural form. It's similar to words like "aircraft", where the plural remains the same as the singular.