Meanings
plural suicide burns
- aerospaceA method of soft-landing a rocket with a well-timed, high-thrust engine burn starting at the last possible second, such that it reaches a vertical speed of zero at precisely or almost precisely at the exact moment that it touches the landing pad and the engine shuts down.
Synonyms: hoverslam
- aerospaceAn instance of such a landing.
A suicide burn is a more efficient method of landing than slowly decelerating over the length of a long descent, as a smaller proportion of the engine's thrust is spent fighting against gravity.
- aerospaceA rocket firing during such a landing.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA method of soft-landing a rocket with a well-timed, high-thrust engine burn starting at the last possible second, such that it reaches a vertical speed of zero at precisely or almost precisely at the exact moment that it touches the landing pad and the engine shuts down.
Origin
From being an engine burn whose failure results in destruction, thus seemingly requiring "suicidal" confidence or courage to attempt.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
suicide burn. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suicide%20burn
“suicide burn.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suicide%20burn. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “suicide burn,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/suicide%20burn.
Source: suicide burn on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.