spaceworthy adj.

(of a person) in a fit condition for space travel; (of an object, esp. a vehicle) in a fit condition for use in space

  • 1931 E. E. Smith Spacehounds of IPC in Amazing Stories Aug. 411/1 page image Edward E. Smith bibliography

    Day after day the brilliant sphere flew toward distant Saturn, with the wreckage of the Forlorn Hope in tow. Piece by piece that wreckage was brought together and held in place by the Titanian tractors; and slowly but steadily, under Stevens' terrific welding projector, the stubborn steel flowed together, once more to become a seamless, spaceworthy structure.

  • 1937 E. E. Smith Galactic Patrol in Astounding Stories Nov. 138/1 page image Edward E. Smith bibliography

    The now entirely spaceworthy craft shot out through the port, through Trenco’s noxiously peculiar atmosphere, into the vacuum of space.

  • 1943 N. S. Bond Peril on Phoebus in Thrilling Wonder Stories Fall 87/1 page image Nelson S. Bond bibliography

    The Pollux, freed of its layer of camouflage, proved to be spaceworthy, as did two of the other vessels taken captive by the pirates.

  • 1954 G. O. Smith Spacemen Lost in Startling Stories Fall 53/1 page image George O. Smith bibliography

    Commander Hatch looked down at his feet. ‘I was in a space can once,’ he said. ‘They don’t last forever. I—’ He let his voice trail away. Wilson looked into their faces. The cold, bleak fact was so clear in their faces that he could not ignore it. He was forced to recognize the fact that a lifeship is no spacecraft. A lifeship is a flimsy tin can, as spaceworthy as an open raft on the broad ocean, as spaceworthy as an umbrella in a windstorm.

  • 1991 M. Weiss King’s Test i.iv. 28 Margaret Weis bibliography

    Fly off all planes, including those that are damaged if they're at all spaceworthy.

  • 1992 H. Warner, Jr. Wealth of Fable 338 Harry Warner, Jr.

    He criticized fanzine con reports in which ‘a detailing of the number of hamburgers consumed en route often consumes more wordage than a description of program events, and mention of a first meeting with a new fan from Squeegee, Wyoming is deemed more spaceworthy than an appraisal of the guest of honor.’

  • 2006 J. Grayson & K. Ferguson Puncher’s Chance in Analog June 13/1 bibliography

    Why not let me take the McAuliffee over to Mars? I'm the best qualified, and I can have her spaceworthy inside two hours.

Research requirements

antedating 1931
Earliest cite

E. E. Smith 'Spacehounds of IPC'
Research History
Michael Quinion submitted a 1941 cite.
Enoch Forrester submitted a cite from a 1965 reprint of E.E. Smith's 1934 "Triplanetary".
Mike Christie submitted a 1937 cite from E.E. Smith's "Galactic Patrol".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1983 reprint of E.E. Smith's "Spacehounds of IPC", which Alistair Durie confirmed in the 1931 first publication.

Earliest cite in OED2: 1959. OED3 has been updated to the 1931 Smith quote.

Last modified 2023-12-24 18:49:43
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.