the different mean about spaceship and spacecraft

[shangding]

what's that ?
is it different?

 

[dbeachy1]

Quite informally, the two words are synonyms. In formal writing, however, (i.e., in documents from NASA), the term "spacecraft" is always used. "Spaceship", on the other hand, is a quite informal term -- for example, a child might say, "Look at that spaceship!" when watching a science fiction movie. But when talking about real space vessels, "spacecraft" is the term that is always used.

 

[shangding]

thanks , i understand.
spaceship is a unreal spacecraft.

 

[Izack]

Literally, there is no difference between the two, but when I hear "spaceship" I think of the Enterprise or the Galactica or whatever, and "spacecraft" makes me think of Shuttles and Soyuzes (I doubt that is spelled correctly...I know nothing of Russian, or English spellings of Russian words.)

Well, to be honest 'spacecraft' first makes me think of Vinka's Spacecraft/2/3. Maybe it should go to the 'addicted' thread? :lol:

 

[dbeachy1]

thanks , i understand. spaceship is a unreal spacecraft.

In normal usage, yes. Izack is correct in that technically you could call a real spacecraft a "spaceship", but it would sound odd for an adult to use that term, at least here in the USA. :tiphat:

 

[Bendarr]

I personally use Spaceship and Spacecraft interchangeably. However a craft (To me anyway) that possesses a Interstellar Drive, I view as a "Starship"

Limited to system use? Spaceship or Spacecraft.

Interstellar Capability? (Deliberately designed so, Running out of fuel in a DGIV and hoping someone finds your ship before you reach Barnard's Star doesn't count. (chuckle)) that would be a Starship.

 

[silent_protagonist]

Well a spaceship is simply any spacecraft that carries three or more masts each supporting square solar sails. If the spacecraft only caries two such masts, it's a spacebrig, etc.

I've always informally thought of the term spaceship, by analogy to current ocean going ships, as being reserved for a spacecraft that's reusable and capable of extended independent operation, such as an Earth-Moon orbit to orbit shuttle, etc, as opposed to contemporary spacecraft which are only capable of making brief forays into space with extensive ground support.

 

[statickid]

I think a spaceship is something that doesn't really exist for us yet. I agree with silent_protagonist. To me, a "spaceship" seems informal now, but in the future it will be a larger vessel that has a large crew and longer duration "voyages" as it would be long enough to not just be considered a short "flight" and a "craft" for me can be almost any of them, but more generically, and certainly does NOT need a crew. for example i consider all satellites and probes and things all be spacecraft and also i might say, in the future, "that particular ship is a fine vessel, and it can deploy lots of spacecraft"

 

[Vanguard]

I agree as well. I don't think it's informal. Children just have a bigger imagination

Spacecraft = boat
Spaceship = ship
Starship = Cruise liner

 

[shangding]

thanks everyone.
in chinese,we all call it "feichuan".
and this si an interesting problem.i think by a chinese.

 

[TSPenguin]

Whilst all spacecraft are what they are. I go so far as to say, that the term spaceship is only applicable for manned vehicles.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Out of existing spacecrafts, 'a spaceship' is the official term for Soyuz and Progress:

Транспортный пилотируемый корабль "Союз" =(literally)= Manned transport space ship Soyuz
Транспортный грузовой корабль "Прогресс" =(literally)= Freight transport space ship Progress

Going further, we discover that the word корабль is used in official Russian to denote warships only, in contrast to civilian vessels (судно). So in a way, a Soyuz is akin to SF space criusers. :lol:

 

[4throck]

In Portuguese and Spanish the term is "nave espacial" and translates to "spaceship", with the ship ("nave") being synonymous to vehicle.

 

[Pilot7893]

The way I see it, a spacecraft is something that is designed for operating both in space, and in the atmosphere. A spaceship is something that only operates in space.

 

[MikeB]

And to keep it straight, a naval architect once told me, "You can put a boat on a ship, but you can't put a ship on a boat." :huh:

 

[Urwumpe]

And to keep it straight, a naval architect once told me, "You can put a boat on a ship, but you can't put a ship on a boat." :huh:

Which is quite correct technically:

A Space Shuttle is a spaceship, while Apollo is a spaceboat.

 

[T.Neo]

Maritime expressions come up too often in spaceflight, methinks.

If you have to have use any closer-to-home analogies, use those used by aircraft. They're far more apt, and a lot of aircraft terminology comes from maritime terminology anyway.

 

[Urwumpe]

Is that a problem? I think starboard and port are less confusing then left and right.

Also, much more words in spaceflight actually come from geocentric astrology.

 

[statickid]

The way I see it, a spacecraft is something that is designed for operating both in space, and in the atmosphere. A spaceship is something that only operates in space.

what about if you were going to "land your spaceship" ?:hmm:

 

[PhantomCruiser]

You could still land a spaceship (how about the LEM) on the moon.