nose cone

noun

: a protective cone constituting the forward end of an aerospace vehicle

Examples of nose cone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Inside this facility near the old space shuttle landing strip, engineers will mount Kuiper satellites onto huge orbital deployer mechanisms standing several stories tall, then encapsulate the structure inside the nose cones of their rockets. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 21 July 2023 Its nose cone comes in two dimensions — a standard size of 51 feet in length, and a longer one, 70 feet, for larger payloads. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2024 The work to stand up two rockets for the launchpad-like exhibit of NASA's retired space shuttle Endeavour has been capped—literally and figuratively—with the addition of two nose cones on solid rocket boosters, CollectSpace reports. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 The An-124 closely resembled the C-5 Galaxy, including its folding nose cone used to facilitate loading and offloading. Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 22 Apr. 2023 The spaceplane fits snugly within the nose cone of a Falcon or Atlas rocket, allowing the X-37B to take off on top of a conventional launch vehicle just like any other satellite payload. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 8 Nov. 2023 That will help workers install the tips of the rockets, known as the forward assembly, which includes the nose cone and forward skirt. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023 At the launch site, ULA will lift the Centaur upper stage atop its already-in-place first stage, add two strap-on solid rocket boosters, and finally hoist the nose cone and payload on top of the launcher. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 24 Oct. 2023 That projectile, its nose cone wheeled to the launchpad by a bicycle, put a small payload 124 miles above the Earth. Alex Travelli, New York Times, 4 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nose cone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nose cone was in 1949

Dictionary Entries Near nose cone

Cite this Entry

“Nose cone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nose%20cone. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nose cone

noun
: a protective cone forming the forward end of a rocket or missile
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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