gravitational slingshot
Orbital speed steal
A gravitational slingshot is a spaceflight maneuver that uses a planet's or moon's gravity to alter a spacecraft's speed and trajectory without expending fuel.
The spacecraft falls toward the celestial body, gaining velocity from its gravitational pull, then swings around and away on a new course.
The Voyager probes used gravitational slingshots to reach the outer planets.
Also called a gravity assist.
- pullForce toward oneself
- flybyClose pass without landing
- swing byVisit briefly, informally
- speedRate of motion
- planetary alignmentWorlds sharing orbital plane
mass · energy transfer · interplanetary travel · deep space · space exploration · delta-v · escape velocity · path · Voyager · Cassini · orbital mechanics · rocket science · physics · planet · boost · angular momentum · space probes · Pioneer
- gravitygraviton, escape velocity, gravimeter, weightlessness, gravimetry
gravitational, gravity, gravitation, gravitate, gravitated, gravitates, gravitating, gravitationally, slingshot