Deorbits

Part of speech: verb, third-person singular

Definitions

1. To move from a higher orbit to a lower one, often involving re-entry into a planetary atmosphere
2. The process of descending from orbit, typically resulting in the controlled or uncontrolled return to a celestial body
3. Entering a planet's atmosphere from space, usually with implications for spacecraft or other objects in orbit

Etymology: "Deorbits" is the third-person singular of "deorbit," a verb built from the prefix "de-" and "orbit." The prefix "de-" in this sense means "down from" or "away from," and "orbit" comes from Latin "orbita," meaning a track or course, related to "orbis," a circle or ring. So the word literally means to remove something from its orbit, or to bring it out of its circling path. "Deorbit" is a technical coinage from the Space Age, first recorded in the 1950s or 1960s as spacecraft began returning from orbit. Its meaning is precise: a deliberate or unplanned move that drops an object out of orbit so it falls toward the planet. The verb's ordinary use now covers both controlled re-entries, such as a satellite steered into the ocean, and uncontrolled ones, such as old debris burning up in the atmosphere.

Synonyms: descends, falls, returns, re-enters, decreases orbit

Antonyms: orbits, ascends, rises, launches, increases orbit