// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Aerobraking
A technique used by spacecraft to slow down by dipping into a planet's atmosphere, using drag instead of burning fuel.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Aerobraking is a spaceflight maneuver where a spacecraft uses atmospheric drag from a planetary atmosphere to gradually reduce its orbital velocity and lower its apoapsis, conserving propellant for orbital insertion or rendezvous operations.
BACKGROUND
The European Space Agency (ESA), pronounced 'ee-sah', is a 23-member international organisation devoted to space exploration. It has its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 3,000 people globally as of 2025. ESA was founded in 1975 in the context of European integration. Its 2026 annual budget was around €8.3 billion.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Atmospheric braking
- Drag braking
- Orbital decay (controlled)
USAGE NOTE
Mars orbiters frequently use aerobraking to achieve their final operational orbits.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Aerobraking.
NASA has extensively pioneered and utilized aerobraking for numerous planetary missions, including Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and MAVEN, to efficiently achieve desired orbital parameters around other planets.
ESA has employed aerobraking techniques for its Mars Express mission and continues to research and develop methods for future missions to optimize fuel consumption during orbital insertion around planetary bodies.
JAXA successfully utilized aerobraking for its Akatsuki mission to achieve its operational orbit around Venus, demonstrating the agency's capability in employing this fuel-saving maneuver.
SpaceX extensively uses principles related to aerobraking for the controlled atmospheric re-entry and landing of its Falcon 9 boosters and Starship spacecraft. While not traditional orbital insertion aerobraking, the reliance on atmospheric drag for deceleration and thermal management is a direct application of the underlying physics.
Blue Origin's development of reusable launch vehicles like New Glenn and its lunar lander concepts involve advanced atmospheric entry and braking technologies, leveraging controlled drag for safe and precise descent.
As a major contractor for NASA and other space agencies, Lockheed Martin designs and builds spacecraft that incorporate aerobraking capabilities. They contribute to the engineering and manufacturing of systems enabling such orbital maneuvers.
Northrop Grumman develops and manufactures spacecraft and related systems for various space missions, including those that may employ aerobraking. Their expertise in spacecraft design and thermal protection systems is crucial for such operations.