launch vehicle

American  

noun

1. Aerospace. a rocket used to launch a spacecraft or satellite into orbit or a space probe into space.

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launch vehicle British  

noun

1. a rocket, without its payload, used to launch a spacecraft

2. another name for booster

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Etymology

Origin of launch vehicle

First recorded in 1955–1960

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

launch vehicle

Proving the rocket to be a reliable launch vehicle is crucial for SpaceX to achieve its goals.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

The RLV C5 remains a paper concept, and transforming it into an operational launch vehicle would require years of additional development.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

The rocket-propelled launch vehicle will not take off from a launch pad.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Since the U.S. struck Iran’s three Iranian nuclear sites last summer, experts say, Iran has conducted tests of a space launch vehicle, one of which appears to have malfunctioned.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

Over the course of the decade, a series of space missions confirmed that the idea of having a launch vehicle that separated from the mother ship would, in fact, work.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson