A critical element of spacecraft design and mission planning is maximizing propulsion system efficiency, particularly for more ambitious missions. To accomplish this, NASA employs gravity assists, also known as a gravitational slingshot or flyby. Every planet in our solar system has a unique orbital speed as it travels around the Sun. When a spacecraft approaches a planet in orbit, it's pulled into the planet's gravitational field, changing trajectory and increasingly gaining speed as it nears t

Working together – we define the future – and achieve the impossible. Driven by human ingenuity, our story will continue to be one of exploration, uncovering the mysteries of the universe and our place within it. 💫 Per aspera ad astra: youtu.be/KVnYKu4_2TQ | NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration