lithocapture

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. 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.
verb
  1. To perform lithocapture.

Pronunciation

/ˈlɪ.θoʊˌkæp.t͡ʃɚ/ /ˈlɪ.θəˌkæp.t͡ʃɚ/ /ˈlɪ.θoʊ.kæpˌt͡ʃɚ/ /ˈlɪ.θə.kæpˌt͡ʃɚ/ /ˈlɪ.θoʊˌkæp.t͡ʃə/ en-us-lithocapture.ogg

Word forms

lithocapture lithocaptures lithocapturing lithocaptured

Etymology

From litho- (“pertaining to stone”) + capture, coined as a pun on aerocapture and lithobraking.

Related words

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.