suborbital

[suhb-awr-bi-tl]

adjective

1. (of a spacecraft) not in orbit; not achieving an altitude and velocity resulting in a ballistic trajectory circling the earth at least once.

2. Anatomy.,  situated below the orbit of the eye.

suborbital

/ sʌbˈɔːbɪtəl /

adjective

1. (of a rocket, missile, etc) having a flight path that is less than one complete orbit of the earth or other celestial body

2. anatomy situated beneath the orbit of the eye

Word History and Origins

Origin of suborbital¹

First recorded in 1815–25; sub- + orbital

Example Sentences

Last month, in its 10th test flight, the rocket finally succeeded in a suborbital mission.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The license will allow the firm to launch and operate its suborbital rocket Skylark L from the spaceport.

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Alongside its suborbital tourism business, the company is also developing long-term space infrastructure, including reusable rockets and lunar landing systems.

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A successful recent round of fundraising means a commercial suborbital launch is on track to start in 2025, company officials said Tuesday.

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Blue Origin’s accomplishments to date are modest — a small vehicle known as New Shepard that takes space tourists and experiments on brief suborbital jaunts.

Read more on New York Times