"When we aerobrake, we utilize atmospheric drag to effectively step down our apogee one pass at a time until we get to the orbital regime that we want to be in," Boeing engineer John Ealy explained in the video. "When we do this, we save enormous amounts of propellant, and that's really why aerobraking is important."
The goal is to "safely dispose of the service module components in accordance with recognized standards for space debris mitigation" - without having to burn copious amounts of fuel to change orbit.
It’s a simple idea that could greatly extend the amount of time a spacecraft could spend in space: using the friction generated by plowing through the outer reaches of the Earth's atmosphere instead of using up propellant.
Aerobraking maneuver showcases a new, fuel-efficient method for spacecraft operation, emphasizing sustainability in orbit and enhancing knowledge of dynamic operations between orbits.
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