spacecraft, vehicle designed to operate, with or without a crew, in a controlled flight pattern above lower .Telstar 1American-built Telstar 1 communications satellite, launched July 10, 1962, which relayed the first transatlantic television signals.(more)Although early conceptions of usually depicted streamlined spacecraft, streamlining has no particular advantage in the of space. Actual vehicles are designed with a variety of shapes depending on the mission. The first spacecraft, the 1, was launched on October 4, 1957; it weighed 83.6 kg (184 pounds). It was soon followed by other unmanned Soviet and U.S. spacecraft and, within four years (April 12, 1961), by the first manned spacecraft, 1, which carried the Soviet . Since then, numerous other manned and unmanned craft have been launched to increase scientific knowledge, augment national security, or provide important services in areas such as telecommunications and .Apollo program infographic.The Apollo program: Major elements of the U.S. Apollo program, showing the Saturn V launch vehicle and configurations of the Apollo spacecraft modules at launch and during their journey to the Moon in an infographic.(more)Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle, 1969Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle with its four landing-gear footpads deployed. This photograph was taken from the command module Columbia as the two spacecraft moved apart above the Moon.(more)Apollo 15 Command and Service modules, 1971Apollo 15 Command and Service modules in lunar orbit with the Moon's surface in the background, as photographed from the Lunar Module. The Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay can be seen on the front of the Service Module.(more)Discovery liftoff, 1985U.S. space shuttle orbiter Discovery lifting off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its third mission, January 24, 1985. Also visible in the image are its attached external tank (orange) and one of its two solid-fuel boosters.(more)Most spacecraft are not self-propelled; they depend on the initial velocity provided by a , which separates from the spacecraft when its task is done. The spacecraft typically either is placed into an around Earth or, if given sufficient velocity to escape Earth’s gravity, continues toward another destination in space. The spacecraft itself often carries small engines for maneuvering and orienting in space. The , the manned Moon-landing vehicle used in the , had rocket engines that allowed it to soft-land on the and then return its crew to the lunar-orbiting Command Module. The latter craft, in turn, carried sufficient rocket power in its attached Service Module to leave lunar orbit for the return journey to Earth. The U.S. orbiter uses three onboard liquid-fuel engines supplied by a disposable external tank and a pair of solid-fuel boosters to reach space., A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed to fly and operate in outer space. [1] Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, planetary exploration, and transportation of humans and cargo., Spacecraft is a vehicle designed to operate, with or without a crew, in a controlled flight pattern above Earth’s lower atmosphere. Most spacecraft are not self-propelled; they depend on the initial velocity provided by a launch vehicle, which separates from the spacecraft when its task is done..