
Spacecraft - Wikipedia
A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed to fly and operate in outer space. [1] Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, planetary exploration, and transportation of humans and cargo.
Spacecraft | Definition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
Apr 6, 2025 · Spacecraft is a vehicle designed to operate, with or without a crew, in a controlled flight pattern above Earth’s lower atmosphere. Most spacecraft are not self-propelled; they depend on the initial velocity provided by a launch vehicle, which separates from the spacecraft when its task is done.
Spaceships and Rockets - NASA
Apr 22, 2025 · A spacecraft is a vehicle that flies in space. It can carry astronauts, cargo, or instruments to their destination, or it can be the destination. The International Space Station is a spacecraft, just like the smaller vehicles that deliver crew and cargo to it.
Soviet space lander set to reenter Earth's atmosphere this …
1 day ago · A Soviet spacecraft launched a half-century ago called Kosmos 482 has been orbiting the Earth for decades and is at last expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere this coming weekend. The rogue probe ...
Types of Spacecraft, Trajectories, & Navigation - Britannica
Spacecraft is a general term for objects launched into space—e.g., Earth-orbiting satellites and space probes, experiment capsules, the orbiting modules of some launch vehicles (e.g., the U.S. space shuttle or the Russian Soyuz), and space stations.
Chapter 9: Spacecraft Classification - NASA Science
Nov 4, 2024 · Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to state the characteristics of various types of robotic spacecraft and be able to identify any of JPL's past, current, or future spacecraft as belonging to one of eight basic categories.
Cosmos 482: What to know about the Soviet spacecraft set to …
18 hours ago · Two spacecraft under that program, V-71 No. 670 and V-71 No. 671, launched in 1972, according to McDowell. But only one made a successful voyage to Venus: V-71 No. 670 operated for about 50 ...
Spacecraft - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A spacecraft is a vehicle that can carry people and cargo beyond the Earth's atmosphere, through space to other planetary bodies, space stations, or orbits and back home again. Spacecraft which are launched from the surface of a planet are called launch vehicles and usually take-off from launch pads at spaceports .
Artemis I - NASA
The crew module is the pressurized part of the Orion spacecraft, sometimes referred to as the capsule, where astronauts will live and work on crewed missions to the Moon and back. It can accommodate four crew members for up to 21 days, and contains advanced life support, avionics, and power systems.
Spacecraft & Space Vehicles - The Complete Database
An educational site listing all spacecraft from around the world, including pictures, technical details, and mission updates.