Rocket vs. Satellite — What's the Difference?

A device used to send payloads into space.

A device used in telecommunications to transmit and receive signals.

A vehicle designed to propel itself by ejecting exhaust from one end.

A man-made object placed in orbit around the Earth, moon, or other planets.

A form of firework that propels itself skyward before exploding.

An object that orbits a planet or star.

An object that moves forward by expelling gas backwards, according to Newton's third law.

An instrument in space for observing planetary surfaces and collecting data.

A cylindrical projectile that can carry a bomb or explosive warhead.

A dependent or subordinate element of a larger system.

A rocket (from Italian: rocchetto, lit. 'bobbin/spool') is a projectile that spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicles use to obtain thrust from a rocket engine. Rocket engine exhaust is formed entirely from propellant carried within the rocket.

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object that has been intentionally placed into orbit. These objects are called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as Earth's Moon.

A cylindrical projectile that can be propelled to a great height or distance by the combustion of its contents, used typically as a firework or signal.

An object launched to orbit Earth or another celestial body, as a device for reflecting or relaying radio signals or for capturing images.

A severe reprimand

(Astronomy) A celestial body, such as a moon, planet, comet, or other solar system body, that orbits a larger body.

An edible Mediterranean plant of the cabbage family, whose leaves are eaten in salads.

A small unit in a system or organization that is managed or controlled by a larger, often centrally located unit.

(of an amount, price, etc.) increase very rapidly and suddenly

A nation dominated politically and economically by another nation.

Attack with rocket-propelled missiles

An urban or suburban community located near a big city.

A rocket engine.

One who attends a powerful dignitary; a subordinate.

A vehicle or device propelled by one or more rocket engines, especially such a vehicle designed to travel through space.

A subservient follower; a sycophant.

A projectile weapon carrying a warhead that is powered and propelled by rockets.

(Genetics) A short segment of a chromosome separated from the rest by a constriction, typically associated with the formation of a nucleolus.

A projectile firework having a cylindrical shape and a fuse that is lit from the rear.

(Microbiology) A colony of microorganisms whose growth in culture medium is enhanced by certain substances produced by another colony in its proximity.

See arugula.

Of, relating to, or being a satellite.

Any of several plants of the mustard family, especially the dame's rocket and the sea rocket.

Of or relating to the transmission of electromagnetic signals by communications satellite

To move swiftly and powerfully, as a rocket

A moon or other smaller body orbiting a larger one.

To fly swiftly straight up, as a game bird frightened from cover.

A man-made apparatus designed to be placed in orbit around a celestial body, generally to relay information, data etc. to Earth.

To soar or rise rapidly

A country, state, office, building etc. which is under the jurisdiction, influence, or domination of another body.

To carry by means of a rocket.

An attendant on an important person; a member of someone's retinue, often in a somewhat derogatory sense; a henchman.

To assault with rockets.

Satellite TV; reception of television broadcasts via services that utilize man-made satellite technology.

A rocket engine.

(grammar) A grammatical construct that takes various forms and may encode a path of movement, a change of state, or the grammatical aspect. Examples: "a bird flew past"; "she turned on the light".

(military) A non-guided missile propelled by a rocket engine.

To transmit by satellite.

A vehicle propelled by a rocket engine.

An attendant attached to a prince or other powerful person; hence, an obsequious dependent.

A rocket propelled firework; a skyrocket.

A secondary planet which revolves about another planet; as, the moon is a satellite of the earth. See Solar system, under Solar.

(slang) An ace (the playing card).

Situated near; accompanying; as, the satellite veins, those which accompany the arteries.

An angry communication (such as a letter or telegram) to a subordinate.

Man-made equipment that orbits around the earth or the moon

A blunt lance head used in jousting.

A person who follows or serves another

(figurative) Something that shoots high in the air.

Any celestial body orbiting around a planet or star

A stupid or crazy person.

Broadcast or disseminate via satellite

A very physically attractive woman.

Surrounding and dominated by a central authority or power;

The leaf vegetable Eruca sativa or Eruca vesicaria.

(Consolida regalis).

(ambitransitive) To accelerate swiftly and powerfully.

To fly vertically.

To rise or soar rapidly.

To carry something in a rocket.

To attack something with rockets.

A cruciferous plant (Eruca sativa) sometimes eaten in Europe as a salad.

An artificial firework consisting of a cylindrical case of paper or metal filled with a composition of combustible ingredients, as niter, charcoal, and sulphur, and fastened to a guiding stick. The rocket is projected through the air by the force arising from the expansion of the gases liberated by combustion of the composition. Rockets are used as projectiles for various purposes, for signals, and also for pyrotechnic display.

A blunt lance head used in the joust.

Any flying device propelled by the reactive force of hot gases expelled in the direction opposite its motion. The fuel used to generate the expelled gases in rockets may be solid or liquid; rockets propelled by liquid fuels typically have a combustible fuel (such as hydrogen or kerosene) which is combined inside the rocket engine with an oxidizer, such as liquid oxygen. Single liquid fuels (called monopropellants) are also known. Since rocket engines do not depend on a surrounding fluid medium to generate their thrust, as do airplanes with propellers or jet engines, they may be used for propulsion in the vacuum of space.

To rise straight up; said of birds; usually in the present participle or as an adjective.

Any vehicle propelled by a rocket engine

A jet engine containing its own propellant and driven by reaction propulsion

Erect European annual often grown as a salad crop to be harvested when young and tender

Propels bright light high in the sky, or used to propel a lifesaving line or harpoon

Sends a firework display high into the sky

Shoot up abruptly, like a rocket;

Propel with a rocket

Some modern rockets are designed to be reusable to reduce the cost of space missions.

Satellites are commonly used for communication, weather monitoring, and earth observation.

Rockets are used to transport payloads such as satellites into space.

Satellites stay in orbit by balancing gravitational pull and their forward velocity.

Rockets are typically made from lightweight, heat-resistant materials like aluminum and titanium alloys, while satellites are constructed from materials designed to withstand radiation and extreme temperatures, such as carbon fiber and special metal alloys.

Rockets are launched from ground-based facilities, using powerful engines to escape Earth's gravity, while satellites are deployed from these rockets once a specific orbit is reached.

Rockets are generally used for scientific and commercial purposes, while missiles are military weapons.

Rockets navigate using gyroscopes, accelerometers, and computer systems to control their flight path, whereas satellites rely on onboard computers and star trackers to maintain their orbit and orientation.

Rockets can contribute to atmospheric pollution with their exhaust gases and potential debris during launch failures, while defunct satellites contribute to space debris that can pose risks to active satellites and space missions.

A geostationary satellite remains fixed over one spot on Earth's surface, making it ideal for communications and weather monitoring, whereas a polar orbiting satellite travels north-south over the poles, providing global coverage and detailed earth observation data.