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Astronomy & Space vocabulary · Space Missions & Launches

Launch

Meaning in astronomy & space, with examples

/lɔːntʃ/nounCore term

In astronomy & space, launch means: The act of sending a rocket, spacecraft or satellite up from the ground into space. As a verb, to send it up in this way.

In Turkish: fırlatma, fırlatmak

How it is used

Very frequent in news and mission updates: a launch is scheduled, delayed, scrubbed or successful. Rockets are launched 'from' a site and satellites 'into' orbit. The 'launch window' is the period when a launch is possible.

Example sentences

  1. The launch was scrubbed because of strong winds at the pad.

  2. The agency plans to launch the new weather satellite next spring.

Common collocations

  • launch window
  • launch date
  • successful launch
  • scrub a launch
  • launch site
  • liftoffThe exact moment a rocket leaves the launch pad and starts to rise. The verb form is 'lift off'.
  • countdownThe counting of time backwards to the moment of launch, during which teams check that the rocket, the weather and the launch range are ready.
  • launch padThe platform and surrounding structures from which a rocket is launched, including the tower, fuel lines and flame trench.
  • launch vehicleA rocket designed to carry a payload from Earth's surface into space. The term covers all its stages, engines and boosters together.
  • rocketA vehicle or engine that moves forward by pushing hot gas out of the back at high speed. Rockets are used to send satellites, probes and crews into space.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Space Missions & Launches

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