upper stage

American

[uhp-er steyj] / ˈʌp ər ˈsteɪdʒ /

noun

Rocketry.

in a two-stage or multistage rocket, a secondary stage that is activated after the primary or lowest stage has fallen away, and that propels the spacecraft or other payload into orbit or on its intended interplanetary trajectory.

Etymology

Origin of upper stage

First recorded 1955–60

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

upper stage

Its job was to fire the upper stage hard enough to send both of the landers out of Earth's orbit and onto a path towards the Moon.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

A SpaceX rocket's upper stage is set to unintentionally crash into the Moon on Wednesday, a collision that poses no danger to Earth but will leave behind a lunar crater.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

The concept combines the reusable winged booster from DLR's long running SpaceLiner program with an expendable upper stage.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

Around six minutes after separating from the rocket's upper stage, its booster returned to Earth vertically and was recovered on a floating platform.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

The upper stage of the Saturn V moon rocket was converted into living quarters for three astronauts.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

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