A maneuver where a spacecraft intentionally dips into the upper layers of a planet's atmosphere at periapsis. The aerodynamic friction bleeds off kinetic energy, gradually shrinking the apoapsis of an elliptical orbit over multiple passes. This technique saves massive amounts of propellant that would otherwise be required for a retrograde engine burn.
Heard on the job
We'll perform three months of aerobraking passes to circularize the orbit before deploying the science booms.
Do not mix it up with
- Aerocapture: Aerobraking takes multiple passes over weeks or months to shape an orbit, while aerocapture uses a single deep plunge to capture into orbit immediately.