upper stage

American

[uhp-er steyj] / ˈʌp ər ˈsteɪdʒ /

noun

Rocketry.

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.

Etymology

Origin of upper stage

First recorded 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The German team managed to measure the pollution the rocket's upper stage emitted in our planet's difficult-to-study upper atmosphere -- the first time this has been achieved, according to a study published on Thursday.

From Barron's

In the early hours of February 19, 2025, the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket was tumbling back to Earth when it exploded into a fireball that made headlines from the UK to Poland.

From Barron's

But about 90 seconds later, as Starship’s upper stage continued to climb, SpaceX lost contact with it.

From Salon

Starship’s upper stage reached the highest planned point in its flight path, but it went into a spin on the way down, blowing up over the Indian Ocean.

From Salon

A mission to Mars hinges on SpaceX being capable of refueling Starship’s upper stage in orbit, a complicated task that Musk told Diamandis could be achieved toward the end of 2026.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023