spacevehicle

A spacevehicle is any vehicle designed to travel to, operate in, or transport objects in outer space. The term covers both launch systems that reach space and the spacecraft that perform missions once in space. In common usage, spacevehicles range from orbital satellites to robotic landers and crewed spacecraft.

Launch vehicles, such as rockets, provide the initial thrust to lift payloads from Earth's surface and place them on trajectories toward space. Once in space, spacecraft perform tasks including orbiting, landing on other worlds, roving surfaces, or returning samples. Some vehicles are tailored for all phases, from launch through in-space operations.

Propulsion and power underpin spacevehicles. Launch typically uses chemical propulsion, while in-space propulsion may include chemical, electric (ion or Hall-effect thrusters), or solar sail systems. Power comes from solar panels, radioisotope thermoelectric generators, or batteries. Structural materials emphasize high strength-to-weight ratios; thermal protection systems and radiation shielding protect crew and hardware in harsh environments.

Key design considerations include mass and delta-v budgets, reliability and redundancy, autonomy, and communications. Spacevehicles must cope with extreme temperatures, vacuum, micrometeoroids, and radiation. Regulations and safety protocols govern crewed missions and international cooperation shapes standards for interfaces, docking, and interoperability.

Examples of spacevehicles range from launch vehicles like Falcon 9 and its Dragon spacecraft to interplanetary probes like Voyager and Mars rovers, orbiters such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and crewed spacecraft like Orion. The field continues to evolve with new architectures and mission profiles.