Skip to content
Triumph Horizon
Log in
Aerospace glossary

Upper stage

Also called second stage

A rocket stage that ignites after the first stage separates and carries the payload the rest of the way to orbit. It often needs an engine that can restart in space to reach high or multiple orbits. Most upper stages are still discarded after one flight.

Used in these articles

Related terms

Launch and spaceflight operations

Related coverage

Subscribers read the desk company and technology reports on the names it covers, including new reports before they are published on datadeep.tech.