Who wrote the science fiction novel where a starship was stuck inside planet?

You're likely thinking of the classic science fiction novel "The Mote in God's Eye" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.

In this book, a starship called the "Long Shot" is accidentally pulled into the atmosphere of a planet named "Moat" and becomes trapped inside its protective force field, known as the "Mote."

Let me know if you'd like to know more about this novel!