ballistic missile

ballistic missile:

see guided missile.

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The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Ballistic Missile

 

a missile whose flight follows a ballistic trajectory. A ballistic missile, in contrast to a winged missile, does not have support surfaces intended to create aerodynamic lift during flight in the atmosphere. In some cases ballistic missiles are supplied with stabilizers to ensure aerodynamic stability in flight. Ballistic missiles consist of military missiles of various types (including intercontinental), carrier rockets, and space rockets.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

ballistic missile

[bə′lis·tik ′mis·əl]

(ordnance)

A missile capable of guiding and propelling itself in a direction and to a velocity such that it will follow a ballistic trajectory to a desired point.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

ballistic missile

Any missile that does not rely upon aerodynamic surfaces to produce lift and, consequently, follows a ballistic trajectory when thrust is terminated. It is initially guided during the upward portion of its flight but drops under the force of gravity, following a trajectory similar to that of an artillery shell.

An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved