lithobraking
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English
[edit]Etymology 1
[edit]litho- (“pertaining to stone”) + braking, by analogy to aerobraking. First attested in c. 1999
Noun
[edit]lithobraking (uncountable)
- (astronautics, humorous) Deceleration of a falling object due to impact with the ground.
- 2006, Paul J. Thomas, Roland D. Hicks, Christopher F. Chyba, Christopher P. McKay, Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 238:
- In a big impact there is not enough time for the ejecta to radiatively cool in transit, so that reëntry (either aerobraking in the atmosphere or lithobraking at the surface) further heats already hot ejecta.
- 2015, Charles Stross, Accelerando, Booklassic, →ISBN:
- I don't want us on a freeflight trajectory that entails lithobraking if we lose power and can't get the sail back.
Hyponyms
[edit]Etymology 2
[edit]lithobrake + -ing
Verb
[edit]lithobraking
- present participle and gerund of lithobrake