launch window

American

noun

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.

launch window British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of launch window

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Final decisions on the best launch window for each mission will be made closer to flight, based on readiness and conditions.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026

The FAA said it required the launch window to be scheduled during “non-peak transit periods.”

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026

The launch window opens early on Thursday, months ahead of schedule.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023