retro-firen.
/ˈrɛtrəʊfʌɪə/, U.S. /ˈrɛtroʊˌfaɪ(ə)r/ Astronautics and Science Fiction.
The part of a space mission in which the retro-rockets of a spacecraft are fired; the firing itself.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > space flight > [noun] > specific firing of rockets
retro-firing1956
retro-fire1959
de-orbit burn1967
1959 Jrnl. Franklin Inst. 267 112 The effects of the retro velocity and angle, as influencing the range from retro-fire to impact, have been studied.
1967 New Scientist 16 Nov. 424/2 It is not impossible to visualize a carefully controlled descent, the only limitations being the weight of propellants needed for continuous retro-fire.
1982 L. Niven & S. Barnes Descent of Anansi xviii. 260 We usually get almost a full orbit after retrofire.
2001 D. Shayler Gemini 318 A pitch attitude error of 3°·2 during retro-fire caused a shift in the footprint of 14 nautical miles from the planned touch-down point.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
retro-firev.
/ˈrɛtrəʊfʌɪə/, U.S. /ˈrɛtroʊˌfaɪ(ə)r/ Astronautics.
1. transitive. To fire backwards; esp. to fire (a rocket engine) in a direction which provides a spacecraft with reverse thrust and so slows any forward motion; to give (a spacecraft, missile, etc.) reverse thrust by firing a retro-rocket.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > space flight > [verb (intransitive)] > fire retro-rockets
retro-fire1960
society > travel > air or space travel > space flight > [verb (transitive)] > fire retro-rockets
retro-fire1960
1960 Aeronaut. & Astronaut.: Proc. Durant Centennial Conf. 1959 443 An object cannot just be dropped from a satellite; it would not fall. It must be retrofired.
1969 Guardian 14 Mar. 1/8 At 5 31 (BST) over Hawaii, Scott retrofired the main service propulsion engine..and Apollo 9 began its long arching descent.
1971 Canad. Jrnl. Polit. Sci. 4 544 A low-trajectory Russian weapon which, after orbiting part of the globe could be retrofired to come down on target.
2003 J. A. Angelo Space Technol. 175 Our spacecraft might reverse-fire (retrofire) its onboard rocket engine.
2. intransitive. To fire the retro-rockets of a spacecraft.
ΚΠ
1966 Pop. Mech. Dec. 82/2 The astronaut then uses a small rocket gun to orient the MOOSE..and retrofires to deorbit.
2000 J. P. Harrison Mastering Sky (rev. ed.) xvi. 258 At 10 hours, 4 mins they retro-fired over Central Africa.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1959v.1960