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I think the design of a ship would do everything it could to save fuel requirements, and find it worthwhile to have different systems to use for breaking. It might deploy a solar sail, a magnetic sail, or various things to cause drag.

Even if it planned to use the main drive for some deceleration stage before using these other means, it might use the break anyway with some useful effect. It might continue breaking, gradually, even well past the sun and on into true interstellar space.

So, a follow-up or rescue mission is possible, with the next mission changed to rendezvous.

As a variation, they might cannibalize the ship and cut off everything that's not the brake mechanism and a minimal life pod, and parachute to a stop with the much reduced mass.

Or, if the drive mechanism is nonfunctional but they still have the fuel supply (e.g. anti matter and reaction mass) then, after somewhat slowing and continued breaking on the way out again, a rescue resupply mission could be launched to just catch up to them with critical components, arriving (to them) empty.

I think the design of a ship would do everything it could to save fuel requirements, and find it worthwhile to have different systems to use for braking. It might deploy a solar sail, a magnetic sail, or various things to cause drag.

Even if it planned to use the main drive for some deceleration stage before using these other means, it might use the brake anyway with some useful effect. It might continue braking, gradually, even well past the sun and on into true interstellar space.

So, a follow-up or rescue mission is possible, with the next mission changed to rendezvous.

As a variation, they might cannibalize the ship and cut off everything that's not the brake mechanism and a minimal life pod, and parachute to a stop with the much reduced mass.

Or, if the drive mechanism is nonfunctional but they still have the fuel supply (e.g. anti matter and reaction mass) then, after somewhat slowing and continued braking on the way out again, a rescue resupply mission could be launched to just catch up to them with critical components, arriving (to them) empty.

I think the design of a ship would do everything it could to save fuel requirements, and find it worthwhile to have different systems to use for breaking. It might deploy a solar sail, a magnetic sail, or various things to cause drag.

Even if it planned to use the main drive for some deceleration stage before using these other means, it might use the break anyway with some useful effect. It might continue breaking, gradually, even well past the sun and on into true interstellar space.

So, a follow-up or rescue mission is possible, with the next mission changed to rendezvous.

As a variation, they might canabolize the ship and cut off everything that's not the brake mechanism and a minimal life pod, and parachute to a stop with the much reduced mass.

Or, if the drive mechanism is nonfunctional but they still have the fuel supply (e.g. anti matter and reaction mass) then, after somewhat slowing and continued breaking on the way out again, a rescue resupply mission could be launched to just catch up to them with critical components, arriving (to them) empty.

I think the design of a ship would do everything it could to save fuel requirements, and find it worthwhile to have different systems to use for breaking. It might deploy a solar sail, a magnetic sail, or various things to cause drag.

Even if it planned to use the main drive for some deceleration stage before using these other means, it might use the break anyway with some useful effect. It might continue breaking, gradually, even well past the sun and on into true interstellar space.

So, a follow-up or rescue mission is possible, with the next mission changed to rendezvous.

As a variation, they might cannibalize the ship and cut off everything that's not the brake mechanism and a minimal life pod, and parachute to a stop with the much reduced mass.

Or, if the drive mechanism is nonfunctional but they still have the fuel supply (e.g. anti matter and reaction mass) then, after somewhat slowing and continued breaking on the way out again, a rescue resupply mission could be launched to just catch up to them with critical components, arriving (to them) empty.

I think the design of a ship would do everything it could to save fuel requirements, and find it worthwhile to have different systems to use for breaking. It might deploy a solar sail, a magnetic sail, or various things to cause drag.

Even if it planned to use the main drive for some deceleration stage before using these other means, it might use the break anyway with some useful effect. It might continue breaking, gradually, even well past the sun and on into true interstellar space.

So, a follow-up or rescue mission is possible, with the next mission changed to rendezvous.

I think the design of a ship would do everything it could to save fuel requirements, and find it worthwhile to have different systems to use for breaking. It might deploy a solar sail, a magnetic sail, or various things to cause drag.

Even if it planned to use the main drive for some deceleration stage before using these other means, it might use the break anyway with some useful effect. It might continue breaking, gradually, even well past the sun and on into true interstellar space.

So, a follow-up or rescue mission is possible, with the next mission changed to rendezvous.

As a variation, they might canabolize the ship and cut off everything that's not the brake mechanism and a minimal life pod, and parachute to a stop with the much reduced mass.

Or, if the drive mechanism is nonfunctional but they still have the fuel supply (e.g. anti matter and reaction mass) then, after somewhat slowing and continued breaking on the way out again, a rescue resupply mission could be launched to just catch up to them with critical components, arriving (to them) empty.