aerobrake

[ air-oh-breyk ]
/ ˈɛər oʊˌbreɪk /

verb (used without object), aer·o·braked, aer·o·brak·ing.

(of a spacecraft or satellite) to reduce velocity by taking advantage of a planet's atmospheric drag.

Origin of aerobrake

First recorded in 1970–75; aero- + brake1

British Dictionary definitions for aerobraking

aerobraking
/ (ˈɛərəʊˌbreɪkɪŋ) /

noun

the use of aerodynamic braking in extremely low-density atmospheres in space at hypersonic Mach numbers