Scientific term for "flip and burn" [closed]

In The Expanse, (and other sci-fi keeping closer to the science than the fiction) the maneuver used to slow a space ship down is colloquialy referred to as flip and burn. What is the term used by real world aerospace engineers and pilots? Something like "retrograde thrust".

science-fiction the-expanse

Best Answer

Something like "retrograde thrust".

You pretty much nailed it there.

It's usually applied to orbital manoeuvres since we currently don't venture out much further than Earth/Lunar orbit

A retrograde orientation is one that has the ship facing in the opposite direction from its direction of travel in its orbit.

A retrograde burn is one in that direction, i.e. that subtracts from the ship's orbital speed.

The effect of a retrograde burn is to lower the orbit's altitude (opposite the ship's current location); it is thus used when approaching a planet or moon and assuming a closed orbit, or when landing.

^Wikipedia

Essentially, thrust in the opposite direction to current one to slow down.