Spacecraft

A spacecraft is a vehicle that travels through space. Spacecraft include robotic or unmanned space probes as well as manned vehicles. The term is sometimes also used to describe artificial satellites, which have similar design criteria.

Table of contents

1 Overview 2 Examples of existing spacecraft 3 Proposed spacecraft 4 See also 5 External links

Overview

The term spaceship is generally applied only to spacecraft capable of transporting people.

A space suit has at times been called a miniature spacecraft or spaceship, emphasizing its purpose of keeping its wearer alive while traveling in the vacuum of outer space.

The spacecraft is one of the primal elements in science fiction. Numerous short stories and novels are built up around various ideas for spacecraft. Some hard science fiction books focus on the technical details of the craft, while others treat the spacecraft as a given and delve little into its actual implementation.

Examples of existing spacecraft

• Cassini-Huygens
• Cluster
• Genesis
• International Space Station
• Mir
• Pioneer 10
• Pioneer 11
• Progress
• Shuttle Buran
• Shenzhou
• Space Shuttle
• SOHO
• Soyuz spacecraft
• SpaceShipOne
• Stardust
• Viking 1
• Viking 2
• Vostok spacecraft
• Voyager 1
• Voyager 2
• WMAP

Proposed spacecraft

• Crew Exploration Vehicle
• Kliper
• Ansari X Prize (incl. a list of spacecraft in various stages of completion as of 2005)

See also

• attitude control
• expendable launch system
• list of fictional spaceships
• list of spacecraft
• spacecraft propulsion
• space shuttle
• starship
• thruster
• unidentified flying object

External links

• NASA: Space Science Spacecraft Missions
• Gunter's Space Page - Complete information on spacecraft
• Cinespaceships - Database on spaceships in movie

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