midcourse

American  

[mid-kawrs] / ˈmɪdˌkɔrs /

noun

1. the middle of a course, course of events, or course of action.

   Congress has already had cause to complain of the court's changing its interpretative rules in midcourse.

2. Rocketry. the portion of a ballistic trajectory between the end of powered flight and the beginning of the reentry phase.

3. Aerospace. the portion of a space trajectory between leaving the earth's vicinity and arrival at the desired destination, as another planet.

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adjective

1. happening or done at some point during the journey of a ship, airplane, missile, or spacecraft.

   When the midcourse maneuver was attempted, one engine failed to ignite and caused the space vehicle to tumble.

2. happening or done in the middle of a course, course of events, or course of action.

   The company is conducting a rigorous midcourse assessment of the process itself.

Etymology

Origin of midcourse

First recorded in 1555–65; mid- + course

Example Sentences

“It’s not unusual for a campaign to have a midcourse adjustment and that’s what you’ll be seeing here with Rob’s departure and with readjustments that we’ll make in the campaign staff.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2023

The ministry said in a brief statement late on Sunday that the "ground-based midcourse anti-missile intercept technology" test had been carried out that night.

From Reuters • Jun. 20, 2022

Indeed, an ICBM's trajectory has three different phases: boost phase, midcourse phase, and terminal phase, all of which typically occur in less than an hour from launch to strike.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2022

Italy’s Luna Rossa dropped out in April, angered with a midcourse downsize in the catamarans that will be used in 2017.

From Washington Times • Jul. 23, 2015

As for the good reader, he will go below to investigate before the voyage commences; or, if in midcourse he likes not his carrier, take off in his mental airplane and seek another book.

From Definitions: Essays in Contemporary Criticism by Canby, Henry Seidel