lithocapture en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈlɪ.θəˌkæp.t͡ʃɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈlɪ.θoʊ.kæpˌt͡ʃɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈlɪ.θoʊˌkæp.t͡ʃə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ˈlɪ.θə.kæpˌt͡ʃɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈlɪ.θoʊˌkæp.t͡ʃɚ/ (General-American)
Etymology
From litho- (“pertaining to stone”) + capture, coined as a pun on aerocapture and lithobraking.
Meanings
-
(countable, humorous, uncountable) A form of lithobraking in which a spacecraft or other object on a hyperbolic trajectory inbound to a planet, moon, asteroid, or other celestial body is decelerated by impact with the surface of the body.
If the initial orbit is hyperbolic, lithobraking would properly be termed lithocapture.
2020, Jonathan C. McDowell, “Astronautical Glossary”, in Jonathan's Space Report, retrieved 21 Feb 2021:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lithocaptures | Number=Plur | lexicographic |