Spacecraft

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A spacecraft is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. On a sub-orbital spaceflight, a spacecraft enters space then returns to the Earth. For an orbital spaceflight, a spacecraft enters a closed orbit around the planetary body. Spacecraft used for human spaceflight 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 body are space probes. Robotic spacecraft that remain in orbit around the planetary body are artificial satellites. Starships, which are built for interstellar travel, are so far a theoretical concept only (aside from a handful of interstellar probes such as Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager, and New Horizons).

Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and space tourism. Spacecraft and space travel are common themes in works of science fiction.

For more information about Spacecraft, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

News tagged with spacecraft

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Astronauts await word of baby girl on Earth

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 20, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

(AP) -- Atlantis' astronauts anxiously awaited word on the birth of one crewman's daughter Friday, as they moved more supplies into the International Space Station and geared up for another spacewalk.

Cassini's Big Sky: The View from the Center of Our Solar System

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 20, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (11) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- When NASA's Cassini spacecraft began orbiting Saturn five years ago, a dozen highly-tuned science instruments set to work surveying, sniffing, analyzing and scrutinizing the Saturnian system.

Before Darkness Falls: Cassini to Scan Enceladus on Winter's Cusp

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 20, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (2) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft will fly by Saturn's moon Enceladus this weekend for a last peek at the intriguing "tiger stripes" before winter darkness blankets the area for several years.

Mystery of the Solar Tsunami -- Solved (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Astronomy

Nov 19, 2009 | 4.9 / 5 (23) | 8

(PhysOrg.com) -- Sometimes you really can believe your eyes. That's what NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) is telling researchers about a controversial phenomenon on the sun known as ...

Dawn Enters Asteroid Belt -- For Good

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 16, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (7) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft re-entered our solar system's asteroid belt today, Nov. 13, and this time it will stay there.

Ghostly 'Spokes' Puff Out From Saturn's Ring's (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 16, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (6) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Massive, bright clouds of tiny ice particles hover above the darkened rings of Saturn in an image captured by the Cassini spacecraft on Sept. 22, 2009, around the time of Saturn's equinox. ...

Rosetta bound for outer Solar System after final Earth swingby (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 13, 2009 | 4.9 / 5 (7) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- This morning, mission controllers confirmed that ESA’s comet chaser Rosetta had swung by Earth at 8:45 CET as planned, skimming past our planet to pick up a gravitational boost for an epic ...

First view of Earth as Rosetta approaches home

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 12, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (6) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- This spectacular image of our home planet was captured by the OSIRIS instrument on ESA's Rosetta comet chaser earlier today as the spacecraft approached Earth for the third and final swingby. ...

Space station gets new research module

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 12, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

(AP) -- A cargo ship has delivered a Russian research module to the International Space Station.

Rosetta spacecraft may help unravel cosmic mystery (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 12, 2009 | 5 / 5 (3) | 4

When Europe's comet chaser Rosetta swings by Earth tomorrow for a critical gravity assist, tracking data will be collected to precisely measure the satellite's change in orbital energy. The results could help ...

Seeing stars, Proba-2 platform passes its first health check

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 11, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (4) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Into its second week in orbit, Proba-2's spacecraft platform has proven to be in excellent health. This leaves the way clear for commissioning the many new technology payloads aboard the mini-satellite, ...

The Stars My Destination

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 10, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (23) | 2

The Voyager spacecraft are now in the outermost layer of the heliosphere, traveling toward interstellar space - the first man-made spacecraft to travel such a vast distance from Earth.

New NASA 3-D Video Shows Thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Ida (w/ Video)

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

Nov 10, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, or TRMM satellite has the ability to provide data that can be made into three-dimensional images. Visualizers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center ...

Scientists prepare the Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM 2) "Poisk"

Rocket with new module for space station blasts off

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 10, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

A Soyuz rocket carrying a new Russian-made module for the International Space Station blasted off on Tuesday from the Baikonur space base in Kazakhstan, television pictures showed.

Station Prepares For New Spacecraft, Monitors Debris

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 06, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 2

The station crew prepared Friday for the arrival of the Russian Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2) which is scheduled for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Nov. 10. The MRM2 will arrive at the ...