oxidizer

The fuel and oxidizer for a typical satellite launch is only a few hundred thousand dollars, but the rocket is in the 10's of millions.

Airliners can't really explode, since they pull in oxidizer from the air rather than storing it on board.

Either fuel + oxidizer in the former, or fuel + compressed air taken from the atmosphere in the latter.

On the other hand, the oxidizer, LOX aka liquid oxygen, is a bit exotic and certainly dangerous in many ways.

Rockets contains both oxidizer and fuel in liquid or solid forms, sometimes separated and sometimes even in one substance (monopropellants).

Thermite is a mixture of a metal and a metal oxide, typically aluminum and iron oxide (which is an oxidizer).

And explode, because you're a thin-shelled tube with plenty of fuel and oxidizer still left.

There is always some extra fuel and oxidizer, as it is used to slow the vehicle, and is needed until touchdown.

In general the reducing agent is considered fuel and the oxidizer is assumed; a motor that oxidizes aluminum using hydroxide is not that different from one that oxidizes it using oxygen.

That it will combine and burn fuel and oxidizer like a stinking, dirty commie?

They both do retard access of oxidizer of course, but then so does nearly every other extinguishing method, starting from fire blankets.

Propellant is a good word that can be used for either fuel or oxidizer.

Ergo, you "get" non-zero altitude and velocity for much cheaper than an equivalent rocket first stage (including its own oxidizer) would give it to you.