launch window

American  

noun

1. a precise time period during which a spacecraft can be launched from a particular site in order to achieve a desired mission, as a rendezvous with another spacecraft.

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launch window British  

noun

1. the limited period during which a spacecraft can be launched on a particular mission

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Etymology

Origin of launch window

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

launch window

To meet that launch window, technicians in protective suits test electronics on the spacecraft’s chassis, which resembles a gray metal box with four outstretched arms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

SaxaVord Spaceport said temporary traffic orders associated with the launch window had been put on hold "until further notice".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

SpaceX’s Starship was due for take-off 90 minutes after its launch window opened at 6:45 p.m.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

The launch window for Artemis II, as the mission is called, opens at 6:24 p.m.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026

Once the capsule climbed through the launch window, separated from the Atlas, and settled into a successful orbit, it established communication links with the ground stations.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly