aerocapture en · NOUN
Etymology
From aero- + capture.
Meanings
- (countable, uncountable) A form of aerobraking in which a spacecraft uses atmospheric drag to decelerate from a hyperbolic trajectory into a closed orbit, eliminating the need for a large orbital-insertion burn and requiring only small correction burns to raise the spacecraft's periapsis out of the atmosphere.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| aerocaptures | Number=Plur | lexicographic |