Definition of "payload" []

• The revenue-producing part of a cargo. (noun)
• The total weight of passengers and cargo that an aircraft carries or can carry. (noun)
• The total weight of the instruments, crew, and life-support systems that a spacecraft carries or can carry. (noun)
• The passengers, crew, instruments, or equipment carried by an aircraft, spacecraft, or rocket. (noun)
• The explosive charge carried in the warhead of a missile. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "STS-118:¬† There are some problems with ESP-3:¬†¬†the Interface Control Document normally takes¬†7 months to¬†translate payload¬†requirements¬†into orbiter interfaces to support payload requirements."
• "Since their payload is already smaller than Ares I, it will cut into Orion even more, which is what many people on here complain Ares I does."
• "The customized malware payload is innocuous looking, low profile, and usually avoids typical malware giveaways."