soft landing

noun4

1. •
   A landing that does not result in the destruction of the payload or the vehicle.
2. •
   A business cycle downturn which avoids recession.

   • Hopes that the US economy is heading for a “soft landing” were boosted yesterday by the latest job figures, fuelling a rally in stocks and bonds. — 2023
3. •
   A form of mass spectrometry characterized by deposition of intact species on surfaces at low kinetic energies which precludes the fragmentation of the incident species.
4. •
   (slang) Sudden or extreme changes in speed.