an object that in some way moves in the general range of the giant planets

an icy planetoid that orbits the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune.

Vehicle for support of unmanned moon probes and other missions

An ``outer planet crosser''. A minor body whose heliocentric orbit is between Jupiter and Neptune and typically crosses the orbits of one of the other outer giant planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). The orbits of the Centaurs are dynamically unstable due to interactions with the giant planets, so they must be transition objects from a larger reservoir of small bodies to potentially active inner solar system objects. The Kuiper belt is believed to be this source reservoir.

The Centaur is an upper stage rocket designed for use on satellite launch vehicles, boosting the satellite into its final orbit or, in the case of interplanetary probes, to escape velocity. Centaur was the world's first high-energy upper stage, burning liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX). Centaur has had a long and successful history in planetary exploration.

The centaurs are a class of icy planetoids named after the mythical race of centaurs. Centaurs orbit the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune, crossing the orbits of the large gas giant planets. The first centaur to be discovered was 2060 Chiron in 1977, while the largest currently known is 10199 Chariklo discovered in 1997.