noun, verb — 2 senses
US /ˈlɪ.θoʊˌkæp.t͡ʃɚ/ · UK /ˈlɪ.θoʊˌkæp.t͡ʃə/
Etymology From litho- (“pertaining to stone”) + capture, coined as a pun on aerocapture and lithobraking.
Aerospace, Astronautics, Business, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Humorous A form of lithobraking in which a spacecraft or other object on a hyperbolic trajectory inbound to a planet, moon, asteroid, or other celestial body is decelerated by impact with the surface of the body.
Etymology From litho- (“pertaining to stone”) + capture, coined as a pun on aerocapture and lithobraking.
Aerospace, Astronautics, Business, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Humorous To perform lithocapture.
Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.