Program 15, Episode 305

Tech Watch

With spacecraft traveling deeper and deeper into the solar system, fuel carried on board takes up valuable space and weight. NASA is working on an alternative to using fuel to slow the craft called Aerobraking.

Aerobraking is a technique wherein an orbiting spacecraft brushes against the top of a planets atmosphere. The friction of the atmosphere against the surface of the spacecraft slows down and lowers the craft's orbital altitude. Instead of using onboard jets and propellant to adjust a spacecraft's orbit, aerobraking uses the atmosphere as both a brake and a steering wheel.

Additional Information
http://www1.msfc.nasa.gov/NEWSROOM/background
/facts/aerocaptue.pdf