spacecraft

Everyday

1. A spacecraft is a vehicle built to travel in space, with or without people on board, such as a rocket capsule, a space probe, a satellite or a space station. tree →
2. Spacecraft can carry astronauts, explore other planets or orbit the Earth to send back pictures and signals. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons spacecraft come up in space and forces: rockets push spacecraft up against gravity, and once in orbit they keep falling around the Earth. Pupils learn about Apollo spacecraft landing on the Moon, robot rovers on Mars, the Voyager probes leaving the Solar System, and the International Space Station. In stories, spacecraft are often called spaceships.

Examples

• The spacecraft blasted off from the launch pad. tree →
• A robot spacecraft landed on Mars. tree →
• The astronauts lived on the spacecraft for six months. tree →
• Voyager is a spacecraft that has left our Solar System. tree →
• Satellites are spacecraft that orbit the Earth. tree →
• Two spacecraft docked with the space station. tree →
• The spacecraft sent back photos of Jupiter. tree →

Note

Plural is the same: «one spacecraft, two spacecraft» (not «spacecrafts»). One word. «Spaceship» is the everyday or story word; «spacecraft» is the science word.