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

See Examples For:

in orbit

SpaceX on Monday launched Starship for the first time since July and, despite a faulty engine, managed to put the rocket in orbit for the first time as well.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

With this new test, SpaceX hopes to usher in an "exciting new phase" of development that will include, among other things, tests of refueling the rocket in orbit.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

If successful, it will be the first Starship to go in orbit around the Earth and the furthest one has ever flown.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Acknowledging that America has weapons in orbit both describes reality and gives our adversaries more reason to hesitate before testing America and its allies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Much later, in 1973 and 1974, Project Skylab kept men in orbit for as long as eighty-four days, without harming them.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins