launch vehicle

noun

: a rocket used to launch a satellite or spacecraft

Examples of launch vehicle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Europe, flaming debris from a SpaceX launch vehicle streaked across the German sky, and what appears to be a fuel tank may have landed on a company’s property in Poland. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025 China is targeting landing a pair of astronauts on the moon before 2030 and is already making progress on the various pieces of hardware needed to emulate a feat so far only achieved by the United States, such as the crew spacecraft, lander and a new launch vehicle. Andrew Jones, Space.com, 14 Feb. 2025 China will launch a pair of low-cost space station resupply spacecraft this year on new commercial launch vehicles, Space News reports. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 14 Feb. 2025 SpaceX's latest test of its Starship rocket, the world's largest and most powerful launch vehicle, ended in dramatic fashion on Thursday as the upper stage disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for launch vehicle

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of launch vehicle was circa 1960

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Launch vehicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/launch%20vehicle. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.

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