1. aerobraking - Noun
2. aerobraking - Verb
aerobraking (uncountable)
(astronautics) The use of atmospheric drag to reduce the velocity of a spacecraft, especially so as to establish a stable orbit and to reduce fuel consumption.
aerobraking
present participle of aerobrake
aerobraking (uncountable)
(astronautics) The use of atmospheric drag to reduce the velocity of a spacecraft, especially so as to establish a stable orbit and to reduce fuel consumption.
aerobraking
present participle of aerobrake
Aerobraking Apollo Command Module flying at a high angle of attack to aerobrake by skimming the atmosphere (artistic rendition) Aerobraking uses the atmosphere of the target planet to slow down. Source: Internet
Aerobraking converts the spacecraft's kinetic energy into heat, so it requires a heatshield to prevent the craft from burning up. Source: Internet
Aerobraking is ruled out because Mercury has a negligible atmosphere. Source: Internet
As a result, aerobraking is only helpful in cases where the fuel needed to transport the heatshield to the planet is less than the fuel that would be required to brake an unshielded craft by firing its engines. Source: Internet
Landing and surface operations Upon reaching Mars, the upper stage would be jettisoned, with the Habitat Unit aerobraking into Mars orbit before soft-landing in proximity to the Earth Return Vehicle. Source: Internet
Red arrows show where optional aerobraking can be performed in that particular direction, black numbers give delta-v in km/s that apply in either direction. Source: Internet