suborbital

adjective

sub·​or·​bit·​al ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bə-tᵊl 

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

Examples of suborbital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This means tickets to ride on suborbital spaceships from Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic are currently the only ways to get to space, however briefly, for something on the order of $1 million or less. —Ars Technica, 28 Nov. 2024

In the private space effort, there are the suborbital space tourism pioneers and the orbital commercial spaceflight pioneers. —Jim Clash, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

As Starship went into a suborbital space trajectory, the Super Heavy carried what is now a routine boostback burn to return it to Starbase. —New Atlas, 19 Nov. 2024

As Blue Origin continues to push the boundaries of suborbital flight and space tourism, this mission marks a pivotal step towards making space accessible to a wider audience. —Valerie Stimac, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

suborbital

adjective

sub·​or·​bit·​al ˌsəb-ˈȯr-bət-ᵊl 

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

suborbital fat