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

Virgin Galactic is targeting the release of a second launch vehicle, with two more Delta spacecraft, by 2030.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 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

“In the event of a debris-generating space launch vehicle mishap, there is the potential for debris falling within an area,” the advisory said, again listing coordinates for two zones in the Gulf and Caribbean.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026

Firefly is also working on the Eclipse medium-lift launch vehicle, which it is developing with defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 13, 2025

At the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel, Thomas Byrdsong got a head start on the long road to the Moon by testing a model of the Saturn rocket, a launch vehicle the size of a redwood tree.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly