Perigee

perigee
    n 1: periapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a
         satellite is nearest to the Earth [ant: {apogee}]
    

Perigee \Per"i*gee\, Perigeum \Per`i*ge"um\, n. [NL. perigeum,
   fr. Gr. peri` about, near + gh^ the earth: cf. F.
   p['e]rig['e]e.] (Astron.)
   That point, in the orbit of the moon or other body orbiting
   the earth, which is nearest to the earth; -- opposed to
   {apogee}. It is sometimes, but rarely, used of the nearest
   points of bodies not orbiting the earth, such as of a comet,
   a planet, etc. Called also {epigee}, {epigeum}.
   [1913 Webster +PJC]
    

77 Moby Thesaurus words for "perigee":
      Earth insertion, LEM, LM, abutment, abuttal, adjacency,
      adjoiningness, aphelion, apogee, apposition, appulse,
      astronomical longitude, attitude-control rocket, autumnal equinox,
      ballistic capsule, burn, capsule, celestial equator,
      celestial longitude, celestial meridian, circle, colures,
      conjugation, conjunction, connection, conterminousness, contiguity,
      coterminousness, deep-space ship, docking, docking maneuver,
      ecliptic, equator, equinoctial, equinoctial circle,
      equinoctial colure, equinox, ferry rocket, fuel ship,
      galactic longitude, geocentric longitude, geodetic longitude,
      great circle, heliocentric longitude, injection, insertion,
      junction, juxtaposition, longitude, lunar excursion module,
      lunar module, manned rocket, meridian, module, moon ship,
      multistage rocket, orbit, parking orbit, perihelion, period,
      reentry, rocket, shuttle rocket, small circle, soft landing,
      solstitial colure, space capsule, space docking, space rocket,
      spacecraft, spaceship, syzygy, trajectory, union, vernal equinox,
      zodiac, zone