suborbital

adjective sub·or·bit·al \ ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bə-tᵊl \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of suborbital

1 : situated beneath the eye or the orbit of the eye

2 : being or involving less than one orbit (as of the earth or moon); also : intended for suborbital flight

Recent Examples of suborbital from the Web

Branson wants to do suborbital tourist flights, which fit more into his brand of recreation and entertainment.

— National Geographic, "Three Billionaires Are Racing to Space. Who Will Win?," 7 Apr. 2018
Thursday's successful test is a milestone for Virgin Galactic's testing program and puts the company one step closer toward its goal of ferrying tourists into suborbital space for a price tag of $250,000.

— samantha masunaga, latimes.com, "Virgin Galactic conducts first rocket-powered test since 2014 crash," 5 Apr. 2018
After years of delays—and a fatal test flight in 2014—Virgin Galactic’s CEO says that by the end of 2018 the company could start suborbital flights that include a few minutes of weightlessness and climb to more than 62 miles.

— paul brady, Condé Nast Traveler, "Experience Makers: How a New Generation of Travel Specialists Will Take Your Trip to the Next Level," 27 Mar. 2018
The Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo broke the sound barrier over the Mojave Desert in California this morning, an achievement that paves the way for the vehicle's first suborbital flight tests that are scheduled for later this year.

— andrew moseman, Popular Mechanics, "First Powered Flight for Richard Branson's SpaceShipTwo," 29 Apr. 2013
The New Shepard rocket, named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard, landed back on the ground following the 10-minute suborbital flight.

— marcia dunn, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Mannequin Skywalker' rides Blue Origin's new crew capsule," 15 Dec. 2017
The New Shepard rocket, named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard, landed back on the ground following the 10-minute suborbital flight.

— marcia dunn, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Mannequin Skywalker' rides Blue Origin's new crew capsule," 15 Dec. 2017
Ultimately Blue Origin plans to use the New Shepard rocket to launch paying customers on suborbital flights to space.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Blue Origin Launches New Crew Capsule on Third New Shepard Rocket," 13 Dec. 2017
The New Shepard rocket, named after the first American in space, Alan Shepard, landed back on the ground following the 10-minute suborbital flight.

— marcia dunn, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Mannequin Skywalker' rides Blue Origin's new crew capsule," 15 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suborbital.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of suborbital

1803

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Medical Dictionary

suborbital

adjective sub·or·bit·al \ ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bət-ᵊl \

medical Definition of suborbital

: situated or occurring beneath the eye or the orbit of the eye

suborbital fat

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suborbital

Definition of suborbital

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suborbital

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suborbital

Definition of suborbital

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suborbital

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