An
expendable launch system is a
launch system that uses an
expendable launch vehicle (
ELV) to
carry a payload into space. The vehicles used in expendable launch systems are designed to be used only once (i.e. they are "expended" during a single flight), and their components are not recovered for
re-use after launch. The vehicle typically consists of several
rocket stages, discarded one by one as the vehicle gains altitude and speed.