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.
The launch vehicle is composed of both a 232-foot Super Heavy rocket and the 171-foot upper stage spacecraft, or capsule where crew and cargo would ride. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 June 2025 Both launch vehicles will use seven of Firefly’s Miranda engines. ArsTechnica, 30 May 2025 SpaceX's iterative process through Starship's development has earned the company praise for the speed with which the launch vehicle has matured, but also criticism over the optics that accompany a giant rocket breaking apart into hundreds of fireballs falling through the atmosphere. Josh Dinner, Space.com, 27 May 2025 The company plans to reuse a key component of the launch vehicle for the first time. — An ancient reptile relative made tiny clawed footprints that were fossilized in 356 million-year-old rock. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 25 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Launch vehicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/launch%20vehicle. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

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