Meanings
plural Aldrin cyclers
- space flightA spacecraft which cycles between Earth and Mars, in its own orbit which intercepts both their orbits at times when the planets are at those points in their orbits; which allows transport from Earth to Mars, or vice versa.
Synonyms: Earth-Mars cycler, Mars cycler, Mars-Earth cycler
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA spacecraft which cycles between Earth and Mars, in its own orbit which intercepts both their orbits at times when the planets are at those points in their orbits; which allows transport from Earth to Mars, or vice versa.
Origin
From Aldrin + cycler. After Buzz Aldrin, who developed the concept and its mathematical basis. From being a cycler, a space vehicle which cycles between intercepts of two celestial bodies in their own orbits, with little or no orbital adjustments needed, on as close to pure ballistics as practicable.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Aldrin cycler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Aldrin%20cycler
“Aldrin cycler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Aldrin%20cycler. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Aldrin cycler,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Aldrin%20cycler.
Source: Aldrin cycler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.