Launch vehicle

A rocket-powered vehicle that carries a payload from Earth or another celestial body into space and places it on a trajectory or in orbit.

Rocket engine: A jet engine that produces thrust by expelling reaction mass, usually from propellant carried aboard. Its thrust accelerates the vehicle against gravity and atmospheric drag.
Satellite launch: The delivery of an artificial satellite from a launch site to its intended orbit. Placing satellites in orbit is a central commercial and governmental launch mission.
Reusable launch vehicle: A launch vehicle designed to recover and reuse some or all of its hardware after flight. Recovery can reduce hardware replacement, though refurbishment and operations still carry costs.
V-2 rocket: A German ballistic missile developed during World War II and the first human-made object to reach space. Its technology and personnel shaped early postwar rocket development.
Space Race: The Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve milestones in space exploration. Competition drove rapid investment in launch vehicles and major spaceflight milestones.
Multistage rocket: A rocket made of two or more stages that are discarded after their propellant is used. Dropping empty stages reduces mass and lets later stages accelerate the payload.
Spaceflight: Travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere by crewed or uncrewed vehicles. Launch vehicles provide the initial boost for most spaceflight from Earth.
Expendable launch system: A launch system whose major flight hardware is discarded rather than recovered for reuse. It contrasts with recovery-focused designs in how hardware is used across missions.
Wernher von Braun: A German-American rocket engineer who led development of the V-2 and later the Saturn V. His work connected wartime rocketry with the launch systems of the Apollo era.
Geostationary orbit: A circular equatorial orbit in which a satellite appears fixed above one point on Earth. Reliable access to this orbit enabled satellites for continuous regional communications and broadcasting.

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