noun
- Plural of ballute; inflatable aerodynamic decelerators used in aerospace to slow spacecraft or payloads during atmospheric entry or descent.
Usage: technical; aerospace engineering
Examples
- The spacecraft deployed ballutes to reduce its velocity as it entered the planet's atmosphere.
- Engineers tested the ballutes in wind tunnels before the mission launch.
- Ballutes are more efficient than traditional parachutes for high-speed entries.
- The design of the ballutes allowed the probe to land safely on the surface.