suborbital

American  

[suhb-awr-bi-tl] / sʌbˈɔr bɪ 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 British  

/ 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

---

Etymology

Origin of suborbital

First recorded in 1815–25; sub- + orbital

Explanation

A suborbital flight is one that goes into space but doesn't travel fast enough to stay there and go all the way around the earth. In an orbital flight, a spacecraft reaches a velocity high enough to orbit Earth, essentially "falling" continuously around the planet. Suborbital flights instead fall back to the earth's surface after briefly reaching space. This adjective is also a medical term that means "beneath the orbit of the eye." The Latin roots of suborbital are sub-, "under," and orbita, "path or track."

Example Sentences

Blue Origin recently shifted resources to its lunar efforts, pausing its suborbital space tourism business to better focus on the moon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Virgin Galactic offers a similar suborbital flight experience.

From Barron's • Dec. 20, 2025

Rival Blue Origin had already flown and recovered multiple suborbital rockets, which fly more slowly and fall back to Earth after reaching their peak altitude.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 17, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2025

A well-executed suborbital flight would buy the United States a little breathing room; but orbital flight—the end game of Project Mercury— was infinitely more complex.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly