launch vehicle

American  

noun

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

---

launch vehicle British  

noun

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

2. another name for booster

---

Etymology

Origin of launch vehicle

First recorded in 1955–1960

Example Sentences

Lastly, $370 billion comes from space-enabled solutions such as the Starship launch vehicle.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

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

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 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

Other ground-based launchers could be adapted to fire the Tomahawks, including a new launch vehicle made by Oshkosh Defense.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 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