suborbitallennot

Suborbitallennot is a term used in aerospace to describe suborbital flights. Suborbital flight refers to a spaceflight profile that reaches space or space-adjacent altitudes without completing an orbital revolution. In practice, these missions attain apogees around 80 to 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface, but do not reach the velocity necessary to orbit. Flight durations from launch to landing typically range from a few minutes to about an hour depending on the vehicle.

Suborbital vehicles are mainly of two kinds: ballistic, rocket-powered systems that ascend to apogee and return along a ballistic trajectory; and air-launched systems where a carrier aircraft releases a rocket-powered vehicle that ignites to ascend. Notable examples include Blue Origin's New Shepard and Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, representing vertical-landing and air-launched suborbital designs respectively.

Historically, suborbital flights have played a central role in rocket development and space research. The first crewed suborbital flight was Alan Shepard in 1961. Suborbital missions facilitated early microgravity experiments and atmospheric measurements and remain a common option for technology testing before orbital programs.

Applications include space tourism, scientific experiments in microgravity, and rapid testing of new space technologies. Suborbital missions are typically cheaper and shorter than orbital flights, which appeals to researchers and commercial operators. Regulation is handled by national aerospace authorities, requiring licenses, safety reviews, and mission assurance.

Suborbitallennot describe an active and growing sector, with ongoing vehicle development and expanding payload capabilities. In Finnish aerospace discussions, the term is used to distinguish non-orbital test flights from orbital launches and orbital missions.