| artillery |
mounted large-caliber weapons, such as cannons or rocket launchers, used in land warfare and manned by a crew. [1/3 definitions] |
| bazooka |
a shoulder-held, cylindrical rocket-launcher that fires an armor-penetrating shell. |
| blastoff |
a launching of a rocket-driven missile or spacecraft. |
| booster |
a segment of a rocket that provides the main source of propulsion during takeoff. [1/4 definitions] |
| combustion chamber |
an engine chamber, esp. in a jet or rocket, in which fuel or a propellant is burned. |
| contrail |
a visible trail of moisture condensed into water drops or ice crystals, formed in the wake of a high-flying plane or rocket; vapor trail. |
| countdown |
the act or procedure of counting in reverse in preparation for some event, such as the firing of a rocket, to occur at "zero". [1/2 definitions] |
| cruise missile |
a long-range guided missile, propelled by a jet or rocket and capable of being launched from an aircraft, ship, or submarine. |
| cyanogen |
a poisonous organic gas of carbon and nitrogen that is used for chemical warfare, as a rocket propellant, and in organic synthesis. |
| destruct |
the act of destroying a missile or rocket, esp. a defective one just after launch. [2/3 definitions] |
| fire |
to shoot or launch (a weapon, rocket, or the like). [1/14 definitions] |
| flight-test |
to fly (an aircraft or rocket) or launch (a missile) for testing purposes. |
| free flight |
the flight or any part a flight, as of an airplane or rocket, that occurs without a means of propulsion. |
| gantry |
a framework that supports a missile or rocket prior to launch and facilitates construction and maintenance. [1/2 definitions] |
| guidance |
a system that automatically steers and controls a rocket or missile. [1/3 definitions] |
| hydrazine |
a colorless and corrosive fuming liquid substance of nitrogen and hydrogen that is used in rocket and jet fuels. |
| jato |
an act or the process of taking off by an aircraft using auxiliary or disposable jet or rocket engines (acronym for "jet-assisted takeoff"). [1/2 definitions] |
| jet stream |
the exhaust of a reaction engine such as a jet or rocket. [1/2 definitions] |
| launch pad |
the platform or base from which a rocket, guided missile, or space vehicle is launched. |
| launch vehicle |
a system, usu. a rocket, from which a spacecraft or other payload is launched. |
| launch window |
the short period of time during which a rocket must be launched if it is to arrive at a certain place at a certain time. |