upper stage

[uhp-er steyj]

noun

Rocketry.

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of upper stage¹

First recorded 1955–60

Example Sentences

The 404-foot reusable megarocket, which is made up of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, ascended from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas at 7:23 p.m.

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NASA’s Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon relies on a version of the Starship upper stage called the Human Landing System that SpaceX is building.

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SpaceX later confirmed the upper stage had undergone "rapid unscheduled disassembly".

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The rocket's upper stage dramatically broke up and disintegrated over the Caribbean after launching from Texas on Thursday, forcing airline flights to alter course to avoid falling debris.

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Officials at Elon Musk's company said the upper stage was lost after problems developed after lift-off from Texas on Thursday.

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