aerobraking
Drag-based orbital slowdown
Aerobraking is a spaceflight maneuver that uses atmospheric drag to slow a spacecraft, reducing the fuel needed for orbital adjustments.
A craft dips into the upper atmosphere of a planet or moon, letting friction bleed off velocity before climbing back out: The probe used aerobraking to settle into a lower orbit around Mars.
atmospheric
Resistance through fluid
- thermosphereHigh-temperature atmospheric zone
- exosphereAtmosphere's outermost region
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
- altitudeMeasured height above reference
maneuver
Curved celestial path
- trajectoryPath of moving object
- corridorEnclosed connecting walkway
- walk-inWithout prior booking
- navigationDetermining position and course
planetary
Red planet, war deity
spacecraft
Body circling another
- configurationArrangement of parts
- accelerometerDevice measuring motion forces
- busLarge passenger vehicle
- instrumentationDesign of measuring devices
drag
Resistance through fluid
- thermosphereHigh-temperature atmospheric zone
- exosphereAtmosphere's outermost region
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
orbit
Curved celestial path
- trajectoryPath of moving object
- corridorEnclosed connecting walkway
- walk-inWithout prior booking
navigation · guidance · trim
Mars
Red planet, war deity
circularization
Mass mailing process
orbiter
Body circling another
- configurationArrangement of parts
- accelerometerDevice measuring motion forces
- busLarge passenger vehicle
- spaceflightlaunch, astronaut, spacecraft, liftoff, orbit
- reentryreentry, reentry vehicle, reentry capsule, heat shield, ablative
- spacecraft maneuversburn, docking, deorbit, rendezvous, gravity assist
- aviationaircraft, airports, flying, flight, airplane
- spacecraftspacecraft, starships, spaceship, Voyager 1, rocket ships
- motion changesacceleration, deceleration, speeding up, slowing down, speedup
station, brake, braking, aerosol, aeronautics, aero, aerospace, aerodynamic, aerodynamics