in orbit

Idioms  

1. Thrilled, delighted, as in Dean's in orbit over his son's success. This expression alludes to the successful launching into orbit of a satellite or other spacecraft. [Slang; late 1900s]

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Example Sentences

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others have discussed putting the computing facilities themselves in orbit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

China has more than 640 commercial remote-sensing satellites in orbit, having launched over 120 units last year, according to Chinese state media.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

With six satellites currently in orbit, AST SpaceMobile needs between 45 and 60 operational to offer a commercial service in northern latitudes, a goal it is aiming to achieve this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

Chief rival SpaceX, which owns satellite-internet company Starlink, has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

What was particularly impressive about the full Copernican model of the Universe was that by putting the Earth in orbit around the Sun it automatically put the planets into a logical sequence.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin