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subsatellite

American  
[suhb-sat-l-ahyt] / ˈsʌbˌsæt lˌaɪt /

noun

  1. a satellite designed to be released into orbit from another spacecraft.

Etymology

Origin of subsatellite

First recorded in 1890–95; sub- + satellite

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 satellite launches were first reported by the website Space.com, which noted “it is possible that the object is a subsatellite, possibly to be used together with the parent satellite for on-orbit testing.”

From Washington Times • Jan. 25, 2023

With the press of a button, the small, instrument-packed subsatellite will be automatically injected into an orbit around the moon.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.