lithobraking
English edit
Etymology 1 edit
litho- (“pertaining to stone”) + braking, by analogy to aerobraking.
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