What is Spacecraft: Definition and 221 Discussions

A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, planetary exploration, and transportation of humans and cargo. All spacecraft except single-stage-to-orbit vehicles cannot get into space on their own, and require a launch vehicle (carrier rocket).
On a sub-orbital spaceflight, a space vehicle enters space and then returns to the surface, without having gained sufficient energy or velocity to make a full orbit of the Earth. For orbital spaceflights, spacecraft enter closed orbits around the Earth or around other celestial bodies. Spacecraft used for human spaceflight carry people on board as crew or passengers from start or on orbit (space stations) only, whereas those used for robotic space missions operate either autonomously or telerobotically. Robotic spacecraft used to support scientific research are space probes. Robotic spacecraft that remain in orbit around a planetary body are artificial satellites. To date, only a handful of interstellar probes, such as Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, and New Horizons, are on trajectories that leave the Solar System.
Orbital spacecraft may be recoverable or not. Most are not. Recoverable spacecraft may be subdivided by method of reentry to Earth into non-winged space capsules and winged spaceplanes. Recoverable spacecraft may be reusable (can be launched again or several times, like the SpaceX Dragon and the Space Shuttle orbiters) or expendable (like the Soyuz). In recent years, we are seeing more space agencies tending towards reusable spacecraft.
Humanity has achieved space flight but only a few nations have the technology for orbital launches: Russia (RSA or "Roscosmos"), the United States (NASA), the member states of the European Space Agency (ESA), Japan (JAXA), China (CNSA), India (ISRO), Taiwan (National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Taiwan National Space Organization (NSPO), Israel (ISA), Iran (ISA), and North Korea (NADA). In addition, several private companies have developed or are developing the technology for orbital launches, independently from government agencies. The most prominent examples of such companies are SpaceX and Blue Origin.

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  1. Const@ntine

    "Vomit Comet" SpaceCraft (0)-V & H at Max Height

    Homework Statement Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 8th Edition, Ex. 47 M4 A spacecraft flies from 24.000 ft to 31.000 ft, in which it enters a parabolic trajectory with a velocity of 143 m/s at an angle of 45, above the horizontal. It exits with a velocity of 143 m/s at an angle of 45...
  2. I

    Impulse and step response related to the angular position of a spacecraft

    Hi! I don't know if I'm in the right forum of this site but I'm trying anyway. I was just wondering if someone could explain how the step- and impulse response is related to an angular position (of e.g. a spacecraft )? Just a little about the theory since I am trying to actually understand...
  3. O

    An oscillating mass within an orbiting spacecraft question

    Homework Statement A wire stretches from one side of an Earth-orbiting space station to the other through the centre of mass of the station, such that it always points along a radial line to the centre of the Earth. A bead is threaded on the wire and initially rests 1.0 m from the centre of...
  4. ramzerimar

    Books on structures of rockets and spacecraft?

    I've been looking after some good books dealing with structural engineering of rockets and spacecraft s in general. I know that Rocket Propulsion Elements is a good book on rocket science, but I'm looking not only for propulsion but more specifically for structural design (loads, stress...)...
  5. S

    A What is orientation of a needle shaped spacecraft?

    this is a small part of a problem on tidal forces and I wasn't sure what the question asks as it seems to me that more information is needed. Am I right or is there something I am missing? the question goes as: "A spacecraft approaches a neutron star of radius 10 km and mass 1.5 times mass...
  6. Clever Penguin

    Writing: Input Wanted Spacecraft One Alpha 10: Energy, Materials & Protection

    First let me explain life on-board the spacecraft : Energy supply: There are 7 main energy supplies that the ship uses. One of these involves the Sabatier process, where Nickel is used as a catalyst, along with heat, to create water and methane. Exhaled air can be turned into this water and...
  7. James Webb Space Telescope Instrument Installation

    James Webb Space Telescope Instrument Installation

    Time-lapse video of two dozen engineers and technicians successfully installing the package of science instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope into the telescope structure.
    • Hoophy
    • Media item
    • astronomy james webb space exploration spacecraft telescope
    • Comments: 2
    • Category: Astronomy and Cosmology
  8. A

    Electrical power system of a spacecraft mission to a comet

    Homework Statement Calculate the solar array power capacity required at the start of the mission Mission duration is 10 years Distance from the Sun at end of mission is 4.8x[10][/8] km The power requirement for the spacecraft at the end of life is 510 W Solar array degradation over mission...
  9. N

    I Questions about nano spacecraft

    2 types of nano spacecraft are planned to travel to Alpha Centauri , 4.2 light years away. One powered by an Earthbound laser, another self powered. I have loads of questions about this but here are a few - The report I read talked about an average speed of 25% of light speed. However, it is...
  10. V

    How fast must the spacecraft travel? Special Relativity

    Homework Statement [/B] 1. Homework Statement A spacecraft is prepared to visit α-Centauri, which is at the distance 4.37 light years from the Sun. Provisions for the crew are prepared for the duration of 16 years. How fast must the spacecraft travel for this provision to be enough? Answer...
  11. F

    Find Speed Changes for Spacecraft Orbit Transfer: Mplanet/MEarth = 0.75

    Question A spacecraft starts in elliptical orbit JK (red solid curve) around some planet and transfers to elliptical orbit MN (blue solid curve). To do so, it changes its speed at Kand inserts into the circular orbit KL (dashed green curve). At L, it changes speed again to insert into...
  12. T

    Spacecraft Reentry - Drag Decrease?

    I was given the following drag profile for a spacecraft upon reentry. I understand that the moment it enter's Earth's atmosphere it will be accelerated due to gravity and pick up speed which in turn increases drag however I don't understand why drag then decreases. Wouldn't density cause...
  13. Physics Dad

    Gravitational Fields - Spacecraft approaching planet

    Hi, as part of my physics assignment, I have the following question: As a spacecraft approaches a planet, the following measurements of velocity and radius were taken. From these values, a graph of v2 (y axis) and 1/r (x axis) was plotted. Use this graph to obtain a value for the mass of the...
  14. Bumpeh

    I want to work with NASA Spacecraft like Voyager

    So, I did a little searching around on these forums before I posted this, and I do see lots of threads about working for NASA but not something about my specific situation. I'm currently attending a college working on my AA. After that, I'm probably going to transfer to a University, where I'll...
  15. M

    Can hydrogen and helium be used as an energy source for spacecraft?

    Hi. Does anyone advise me what I can get out from space and use it as energy for spacecraft ? Thank. By.
  16. T

    Thermal Management Question in Spacecraft

    Hello guys, Below I am presenting a question related to thermal management in spacecraft . Perhaps many of you might find it interesting! And this could be a real-life problem for thermal engineering in a spacecraft . So, the question is following: An instrument dissipates 10W and, in order...
  17. GiantSheeps

    Can We Combine Solar Sails and Ion Thrusters for Faster Space Travel?

    I've heard a lot of people talk about solar sails versus things like Ion thrusters, and it seems that both have their advantages and disadvantages. So I was wondering whether or not it's possible to use both on a single spacecraft ? That way you could get the speed of an ion thruster along with...
  18. P

    Orbital Rendezvous and Mission Control Involvement

    Can someone please give a step by step explanation of an orbital rendezvous by a spacecraft for a target that is orbiting the body it launched from? And if possible, can you explain how mission control is involved and what part computers play? When the RCS is active is it changing the...
  19. Y

    Launching spacecraft with ramps?

    Sure, it sounds silly, because it is. But would it work? Say, would the rockets use less fuel? And yes, I'm horrible at starting threads.
  20. 2ded12

    Help making decision on what to study to work on spacecraft

    I need help picking the best route to a careers to do with propulsion systems in space and launch vehicles. Initially, I would have pick the obvious course for this which is aerospace engineering, which most jobs want as basic requirement. But now I understand that the electronics course at this...
  21. H

    Astronaut floats outside spacecraft

    Homework Statement A 91-kg astronaut floats outside a 3,131 kg spacecraft . She's initially stationary with respect to the spacecraft . Then she pushes against the spacecraft , and moves away at 0.195 m/s to the left. Find the SPEED of the recoiling spacecraft . Homework Equations Force =...
  22. G

    Relationship between characteristic energy and delta-v

    Firstly, apologies if this is in the wrong thread. I'm currently writing a presentation on the physics of getting a spacecraft from Earth to Mars in the near future. In my research I've come up against Porkchop plots which seem to plot contours of equal characteristic energy so you can find...
  23. A

    How small could a pusher-plate spacecraft be built?

    Hi All, Not sure if this is the right section but happy if its moved by mods. Back in the 50's Dyson and his team came up with the Orion pusher-plate spacecraft and the figures looked like it would work. Apparently it was shelved due to the nuclear testing treaty. Now in the style typical of...
  24. Ignis Radiis

    Space Part 1 -- Why does NASA launch spacecraft toward the East?

    Homework Statement Okay...So why does NASA launch in the east. Is there an advantage in east from west? Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution
  25. Andy Resnick

    Have you seen this astronaut's view of spacecraft re-entry?

    Wasn't sure where I should post this link: astronaut view of re-entry- http://spaceref.com/missions-and-programs/nasa/video-nasa-provides-an-astronauts-eye-view-of-orions-re-entry.html
  26. Ganesh Ujwal

    Are there any drawbacks or potential dangers using touchpads on spacecraft?

    Are there any drawbacks or potential dangers on using touch-sensitive instrument panels on spacecraft ? Just as seen on Orion and Dragon designs (I haven't checked on other current spacecraft s), there are a lot of benefits from using touch-sensitive panels instead of traditional electrical...
  27. mrspeedybob

    Why did the Apollo spacecraft go into Earth orbit first?

    I've been playing Kerbal Space Program. I have found the simplest way to get to an outer planet is to launch straight up at dawn and the simplest way to get to an inner planet is to launch straight up at dusk, and in neither case to mess about with going into Kerbal orbit. This got me to...
  28. G

    Designing Spacecraft for Hard SF Battles & Piracy

    I'm going to write a (semi) hard SF. I wonder whether i left out something from spacecraft design, or got something wrong?Armed cargo ship (used for piracy/commerce raid also) At the back of the ship, a large block contains the fusion reactor, the main ion thruster, the manuevering ion...
  29. D

    Electrical potential involving a spacecraft

    Homework Statement Been stuck on this problem. Any help will be greatly appreciated 1. The (actual) spacecraft Deep Space 1 tested an ion drive engine in which Xenon atoms were accelerated (maximum voltage of 1,300 volts), neutralized and used to provide thrust. The probe carried 74 kg of...
  30. P

    Explaining Why Accelerating a Spacecraft to Light Speed is Impossible

    Homework Statement In terms of the energy involved (using formulas provided), explain why accelerating a spacecraft to the speed of light is impossible. Homework Equations time, mass and length dilation formulas, and a few astrophysics formulas, E = Ek + mc2, projectile motion formulas The...
  31. ideasrule

    Celestial mechanics, particularly as it relates to spacecraft navigation

    I'm trying to teach myself celestial mechanics, particularly as it relates to spacecraft navigation. Essentially I'm interested in how spacecraft can get from A to B with the lowest delta-V (or whatever the criteria are), and how mission planners figure this out. Can anyone recommend a...
  32. M

    Vibrational/Acoustic Loading Spacecraft

    Hi guys, I got the following question. I am designing a spacecraft for a mercury mission, my task in the process is designing the structure of the spacecraft . I'm in the desining process but struggeling with the effects of the vibrational loads during launch. I've analysed the...
  33. Art_Vandelay

    Time Dilation with Two Spacecraft

    I want to write a science-fiction story concerning the rapid increase in technology affecting the speed at which spacecraft travel and passengers age (relative to each other). Theoretically, would it be possible that a son leaves a certain time (a number of years) before his father to...
  34. C

    Hypothetical Interstellar Spacecraft

    I know of Project Daedalus, Project Icarus, and Project Orion. These basically utilize pulse propulsion. In Daedalus and Icarus helium 3 and deuterium are combusted by a laser to create thrust. And in Orion nuclear bombs explode behind the craft to get it moving. All of these designs only reach...
  35. E

    About a spacecraft trip to the asteroids

    This was something I was kicking around and wanted some advice on. Let's assume you had a big spaceship -- the kind you'd use t set off on a trip to the Asteroids, and were willing to take some time about it, on the order of a couple of years. Maybe you want to do asteroid mining or mine...
  36. T

    Equations for Apollo Spacecraft Orbital Velocity & Moon Escape Velocity

    Look for help on these equations. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much! :) The Apollo spacecraft must be traveling at what velocity in order to remain in a 110 kilometer orbit around the moon? The magnitude of the Apollo’s orbital velocity can be computed from the laws of...
  37. Ritzycat

    What are the opportunities for people interested in building spacecraft?

    I am considering getting a BS in Aerospace engineering one day. I want to get a PhD at some point as well. What are the opportunities for people interested in building spacecraft ? Are there many job openings for NASA or commercial space agencies like SpaceX for building space-related...
  38. J

    Camera on Spacecraft Moving Near Speed of Light

    If a spacecraft moving near the speed of light has a camera set up inside observing the people in the spacecraft , and the camera is connected to a computer on Earth so that observers on Earth could watch the video that the camera sends, what would the people on Earth see? Would they see...
  39. R

    Apollo Spacecraft Re-entry Program

    I'm working on an Apollo re-entry program and would like to somehow check my results I got for re-entry. I'm using 3 DOF equations to calculate the trajectory of the spacecraft .Equations of motion: \dot{V} = -\frac{D}{m} - g\sin{\theta} \dot{\phi} = -\frac{V\cos{\theta}}{R+h} \dot{\theta} =...
  40. I

    Meta Materials as Cosmic Ray Shielding for Spacecraft?

    While thinking about the recent-ish developments in meta materials for 'cloaking' systems, a thought struck me: could a meta material or combination of meta materials (probably of a somewhat more advanced state than they currently are) be used as a form of shielding from cosmic rays of various...
  41. T

    Books on Spacecraft Control and Navigation

    I am a math grad student who has really got interested in spacecraft control and navigation. Like a lot of people, I have been playing too much ksp and gotten interested in the mathematics of spacecraft navigation and control. For fun, I derived some basic motion and control equations...
  42. M

    Rotating Spacecraft Causing 'Artificial Gravity' via Centripetal Force

    How is this possible? The reason spinning a bucket of water upside down keeps the water inside the bucket is because you're applying force and accelerating the bucket. But in space, there is nothing 'accelerating' the rotation of a spacecraft , it is merely in continuous Newtonian motion...
  43. R

    Optimum Re-entry Corridor for Apollo-type Spacecraft

    I'm working on a project in MATLAB for my own personal benefit. I found a 1966 paper where the limits of the re-entry corridor are found. The control variable is the attack angle. The state variables are flight path angle, velocity, altitude, angular displacement (range), and penalty functions...
  44. J

    Spacecraft path with polar coordinates

    There is a circular gate rotating at a constant angular speed of ω. The circular gate has a tunnel across its diameter. The mission is to pass through the gate. (That is, come in one side of the gate, travel the whole diameter, and exit at the other side.) Also, craft is neutrally buoyant...
  45. M

    Photons fired from the back of a moving spacecraft

    Homework Statement If a passenger at the back of a spaceship traveling at 3/5c fires a photon forward how long will it take to hit the front of the spaceship in the reference frame of the spaceship if it is 1 light second long? How long will it take in the stationary frame? Homework...
  46. C

    The hurdles that face a spacecraft during its launching

    Hello, My question is quite simple. What kind of abuses does a spacecraft sustain from the moment it's launched until it's placed on orbit?I've always heard of what a spacecraft must face in the spatial environment but I've never heard of what it must face before it gets to it. Thank you.
  47. S

    The Pioneer effect and Spacecraft flyby anomaly

    Does general relativity explain the Pioneer effect and the spacecraft flyby anomaly? I have seen several papers on those two topics but no GR explanation.
  48. D

    Magnitude of Initial velocity of Spacecraft

    On a spacecraft two engines fire for a time of 572 s. One gives the craft an acceleration in the x direction of ax = 5.15 m/s2, while the other produces an acceleration in the y direction of ay = 7.41 m/s2. At the end of the firing period, the craft has velocity components of vx = 3782 m/s and...
  49. A

    Spacecraft Re-Entry: High Freq Comm & Plasma Frequency

    I recently read about the communication blackout during a spacecraft re-entry.. The reason given was the high density plasma formed whose plasma frequency is such that the communication waves do not penetrate it. Why don't we use a higher frequency for communication which is sufficient to pass...
  50. W

    Focus of studies for spacecraft

    So, being intensely interested in space in general and more specifically in the possibilities of travel through it, I would like to ask about possible locations and courses of study to get into the engineering and design aspects of space travel. I'm especially interested in the propulsion and...
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