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 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.
Spacecraft launch on rockets and have their own propulsion and navigation systems that take over after they separate from the rocket, propelling them to other worlds in our solar system. Their main purpose lies in transporting payloads — or anything within the vehicle beyond what is essential to operate in space — to their destination. For example, for the Artemis II Moon mission, a human ...
Orion spacecraft Integrity, carrying astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, successfully…
Explore our definitive list of spacecraft, including satellites, planetary probes, crewed vehicles, and deep-space missions. Discover detailed information on various spacecraft, their designs, and their historic contributions to space exploration.
Learn about different types of spacecraft, both crewed and uncrewed, used for space exploration.
An educational site listing all spacecraft from around the world, including pictures, technical details, and mission updates.
Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and space tourism. Spacecraft used for human spaceflights carry people on board as crew or passengers. Spacecraft used for robotic space missions operate either autonomously or telerobotically. Robotic spacecraft that leave the vicinity of the planetary ...