A spaceplane is a vehicle that can fly and glide like an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere and maneuver like a spacecraft in outer space. To do so, spaceplanes must incorporate features of both aircraft and spacecraft. Orbital spaceplanes tend to be more similar to conventional spacecraft, while sub-orbital spaceplanes tend to be more similar to fixed-wing aircraft. All spaceplanes to date have been rocket-powered for takeoff and climb, but have then landed as unpowered gliders.
Space Shuttle Discovery
X-37B after landing.
Dream Chaser test vehicle.
Landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis, a crewed orbital spaceplane
Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere or through the vacuum of outer space. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift associated with gliding or propulsive thrust, aerostatically using buoyancy, or by ballistic movement.
Natural flight by a brown pelican
Human-engineered flight: a Royal Jordanian Airlines Boeing 787
An airship flies because the upward force, from air displacement, is equal to or greater than the force of gravity
Female mallard duck