planetfall n.

What with the retarding effect of the millions of miles of gas they had traversed and Ronny’s skillful adaptation of his surviving machinery, the Thuban’s speed had been reduced to manageable proportions by the time they were in position for their planetfall. Coming in on a tangent about a hundred miles above the estimated surface, Yphon encircled the cloud-wrapped orb three times on a slowly tightening spiral, gliding swiftly through the tenuous stratosphere, braking as he went.

Any message-answering would have to be done thirty hours later, when the ship made planetfall, and the regular terminal office of Interplanetary Communications could be employed.

They made their planetfall with Gowry at the manual controls.

‘Get sobered up,’ I ordered curtly. ‘We made planetfall. We’ve got work to do.’

There are few more stirringly imaginative themes in science fiction than that of the generations-ship—the spaceship whereby man may cross the light-years separating us from the stars, even at speeds much less than that of light, creating a self-sufficient microcosm in which the great-great-…-great-grandchildren of the original voyagers may at last make planet-fall.

The Southern Cross had made planetfall on Darkover at midnight.

Housings for the two boats that would make the planet-falls for which she herself was not designed.

As the TH-834 had had planetfalls on Durrell, Tania Borealis’ fourth planet before, the spaceport was familiar with Teron.

At last, the Feinstein has arrived at the historic Nebulon system. It’s been five months since the last shore leave, and you’re anxious for Planetfall. You and some other Ensigns Seventh Class enter the shuttle for surfaceside.

Once we have made planetfall and had time to do some initial assessment.

Our calculations have them making planetfall right in the heart of the city.

Having said virtually nothing since planetfall, he and Tammy approached the main bunker.