What is Spacecraft?
[[File:Space Shuttle Columbia launching.jpg|thumb|275px|The US [[Space Shuttle]] flew 135 times from 1981 to 2011, supporting Spacelab, ''Mir'', the [[Hubble Space Telescope]], and the ISS. (''Columbia''{{'s}} [[STS-1|maiden launch]], which had a white external tank, shown)|alt=Columbia's first launch on the mission ]] A '''spacecraft''' is a [[vehicle]] that can carry [[wikt:people|people]] and [[cargo]] beyond the [[Earth]]'s [[atmosphere]], through [[Outer space|space]] to other [[planet]]ary bodies, [[space station]]s, or [[orbit]]s and back home again. Spacecraft which are launched from the surface of a planet are called [[launch vehicle]]s and usually take-off from [[launch pad]]s at [[spaceport]]s. Most spacecraft today are propelled by [[rocket engine]]s, which shoot hot gases opposite to the direction of travel. Other forms of [[propulsion]] are used when appropriate. Spacecraft which do not need to escape from strong [[gravity]] may use [[ion thruster]]s or other more [[Energy efficiency|efficient]] methods. Because of the very large amount of [[energy]] needed to leave the Earth's gravity, spacecraft are usually very expensive to build, launch, and operate. Plans for future spacecraft often focus on reducing these costs so more people can participate in space. But today, costs are still very high, and until recently all spacecraft were sponsored by national [[government]]s. == Human spaceflight vehicles == Most expensive of all is to send people in to space, due to their needs for food, water, air, living space, safety, and control. People participating in this way have special names: [[United States of America|Americans]] call themselves [[astronaut]]s; [[Russia]]ns call themselves [[cosmonaut]]s; [[China|Chinese]] call themselves [[taikonaut]]s. * The American agency [[NASA]] used a launch vehicle called the [[Space Shuttle]]. Currently, they go on Soyuz with the cosmonauts. * The Russian agency [[RFSA]] uses a launch vehicle called [[Soyuz]]. * The Ukrainian agency [[UASA]] uses a launch veh