Cryptic crossword clue
Orbiter's pilot and guide ultimately crashed 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word PLANETOID

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
P
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Orbiter" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case orbiter = planetoid.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does PLANETOID mean?

PLANETOID noun
  1. An asteroid of any size
  2. An asteroid-like body in an orbit beyond the asteroid belt, such as a centaur or Kuiper belt object
  3. A larger, planetary, body in orbit around the Sun, such as Vesta or (candidate) dwarf planets such Eris or Sedna
  4. A dwarf planet

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