aerobrake

verb

aero·​brake ˈer-ō-ˌbrāk 

aerobraked; aerobraking; aerobrakes

transitive verb

: to decelerate (a spacecraft) by passage through a planetary atmosphere

aerobraking

ˈer-ō-ˌbrā-kiŋ 

noun

Starting in a week, the spacecraft will use the upper fringes of the Martian atmosphere to lower and circularize its orbit through a technique called aerobraking.

—John Noble Wilford

Examples of aerobrake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In practice, aerobraking at Mars was made problematic by the need to aerobrake the liquid hydrogen propellant required for the flight from Mars back to Earth. —David S. F. Portree, WIRED, 24 July 2013

Word History

Etymology

aero- + brake entry 2

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above