aerobrake
/ˈɛroʊˌbreɪk/
verb
- To slow down a spacecraft by using the drag of a planet's atmosphere.
- Engineers designed the probe to aerobrake safely without burning up.
- To save fuel, the mission plan includes a maneuver to aerobrake around Venus.
- The spacecraft will aerobrake as it enters Mars' atmosphere to reduce its speed.
noun
- A device or maneuver that uses atmospheric drag to slow a spacecraft.
- The satellite deployed its aerobrake to lower its orbit around the planet.
- Using an aerobrake can reduce the amount of fuel needed for a mission.
- The team tested a new aerobrake design in a wind tunnel.