Mission controllers calculate precise durations for rocket engines to fire in the vacuum of space, changing the vehicle's velocity vector. These maneuvers are critical for orbital insertion, course corrections, or deorbiting. The timing and duration must be exact, as any error directly translates into a missed orbit or an atmospheric skip.
We're go for the deorbit burn at T-minus four minutes.
Also heard as
- engine burn
- firing
Related terms
Delta-v
The total change in velocity a spacecraft can achieve using its available propellant.
Deorbit burn
A retrograde engine firing that slows a spacecraft enough to re-enter the atmosphere.
Trajectory
The three-dimensional flight path of an aircraft, rocket, or spacecraft.
Launch window
The specific timeframe during which a spacecraft must lift off to reach its intended orbit or target.
Same word, different worlds
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