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.
Menon came aboard on July 14, making the trip on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft along with cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2026 In its first test flight of Starship in April 2023 in Texas, energy from the rocket caused SpaceX’s concrete launchpad to explode and its spacecraft to blow up in midair. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has officially been encapsulated inside the Falcon Heavy rocket’s 43-foot-tall fairing, which protects the spacecraft on its trip through Earth's atmosphere. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 The arrangement is designed to let spacecraft access additional power when computing loads rise, without having to carry enough onboard generation and storage to cover those peaks. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for spacecraft

See All Rhymes for spacecraft

Browse Nearby Words

space-charge effect
spacecraft
space curve
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spacecraft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spacecraft. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spacecraft

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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