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Astronomy & Space vocabulary · Rockets & Spacecraft

Propellant

Meaning in astronomy & space, with examples

/prəˈpelənt/nounCommon term

In astronomy & space, propellant means: The fuel and the oxidiser that a rocket burns to produce thrust. Common examples are liquid hydrogen, kerosene, methane and liquid oxygen.

In Turkish: itici yakıt, yakıt

How it is used

Engineers prefer 'propellant' to 'fuel' because a rocket also carries an oxidiser. Teams load, top off and drain propellant and talk about propellant tanks and margins. Satellites carry propellant for their small thrusters.

Example sentences

  1. Propellant loading begins about 35 minutes before launch.

  2. The satellite still has enough propellant to stay in service for ten more years.

Common collocations

  • propellant loading
  • liquid propellant
  • solid propellant
  • propellant tank
  • thrustThe pushing force a rocket or jet engine produces by throwing gas out at high speed. It is measured in newtons or kilonewtons.
  • 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.
  • stageOne section of a rocket with its own engines and propellant. When a stage runs out of fuel, it separates and drops away, making the rest of the rocket lighter.
  • boosterA rocket or rocket stage that gives extra thrust in the first minutes of a launch and then separates. Side boosters are attached to the outside of the main rocket.

More terms: Rockets & Spacecraft

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