posigradeadj.adv.
/ˈpɒzɪɡreɪd/, U.S. /ˈpɑzəˌɡreɪd/ Astronautics and Astronomy.
A. adj.
Designating or exhibiting motion in the same direction as some existing motion; esp. designating or exhibiting motion of a satellite in the same direction as the rotation or orbit of the primary, or as the direction prevailing in the solar system (i.e. clockwise as seen from north of the ecliptic). Opposed to retrograde.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > spacecraft > rocket > [adjective] > types of rocket
solid-fuelled1891
needle-nosed1931
solid1949
nose-driven1952
liquid-fuelled1960
posigrade1960
strap-on1966
1960 C. C. Johnson Memo 22 Nov. in L. S. Swenson This New Ocean (Electronic text) ix The question is whether posigrade impulse should..be increased to aid orbit insertion. It is tempting to combine posigrade and retrograde systems and to utilize the propellant as required by the particular flight situation.
1965 Time 24 Dec. 35 To change his elliptical orbit into a circle that reached closer to Gemini 7, he made several ‘posigrade’ burns.
1971 Astronautica Acta 16 197 There are precisely two insertion-velocity vectors which permit attainment of the target asymptotic velocity vector, one yielding posigrade, the other retrograde motion.
1981 Icarus 48 39 The equations predict a relatively long collisional lifetime for the four retrograde [outer] moons [of Jupiter]..and a shorter time for the four posigrade moons.
1990 Astron. & Astrophys. 231 245/2 For Nereid the ellipse was represented with conventional posigrade equinoctial elements referred to the orbital plane of Neptune.
1996 Project Orion Simulation Trajectories in sci.space.shuttle (Usenet newsgroup) 23 Apr. Some 4.5 orbits later, at 19:00 UTC, STS-7 will perform a 225.2 fps posigrade burn and rendezvous with the Nimbus-A satellite.
B. adv.
In a posigrade direction.
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1975 Celestial Mech. 12 463 The orbital plane is permitted to precess (either posigrade or retrograde) at a constant rate with constant inclination.
1985 G. R. Woodcock in W. W. Mendell Lunar Bases & Space Activities of 21st Cent. 112 As the Moon revolves posigrade at about 13° per day, it passes through the space station orbit plane about every 9 days on the average.
Compounds
posigrade rocket n. a small rocket that can be fired briefly to give forward thrust to a spacecraft.
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1961 Aeroplane 100 152/1 Next, the three small ‘posigrade’ rockets on the blunt face of the capsule are fired to achieve separation from the booster.
1962 S. Carpenter in J. Glenn et al. Into Orbit 53 This sends out an electrical impulse which explodes the bolts and fires the posigrade rockets that shove the capsule and booster apart.
1965 World Bk. Year Bk. 48/2 It was also necessary to take into account..another figure for the thrust of the small, posigrade rockets that give the spacecraft a gentle separation push away from the booster.
1980 T. Wolfe Right Stuff (1981) xii. 263 The posigrade rockets fired, throwing the capsule free of the rocket shaft.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.adv.1960