A multistage rocket consists of stacked or parallel rocket stages, each with its own engines and propellant. As the vehicle ascends, depleted stages are jettisoned to reduce dead weight, allowing the remaining stages to accelerate the payload more efficiently. This staging mechanism is the only practical way to achieve orbital velocity with chemical propellants.
The payload requires a multistage launch vehicle to reach geostationary transfer orbit.
Also heard as
- staged
Do not mix it up with
- SSTO: SSTO is single-stage-to-orbit, which never drops hardware, while multistage rockets shed mass as they climb.
Related terms
Interstage
The structural ring or cylinder that connects two stages of a multi-stage rocket.
Launch vehicle
A rocket or other system used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into space.
SSTO
A single-stage-to-orbit vehicle that reaches space without dropping hardware.
TSTO
Two-stage-to-orbit refers to a launch vehicle that uses two distinct propulsion stages to reach space.