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

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

From MarketWatch

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

The Ariane was Europe's main rocket launch vehicle, helping more than 230 satellites into orbit, before it was retired in 2023.

From BBC

The 116 satellites onboard the launch vehicle were mostly designed and built by Western nations and businesses – but one of them was different.

From BBC

The one in the new image came from Japan's H-IIA launch vehicle, which lofted a CO2-measuring spacecraft called Gosat, in 2009.

From BBC