Back to Discover
🚀

Gravity assist

space Maturity 7-9

Space ships can use planets to move.

Grav slingshot diag.svg
Grav slingshot diag.svg
They fly near a big planet. The planet pulls the ship. This helps the ship go fast. It can also slow it down. This saves fuel for the trip. Do you like space?

43 words
🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:GravAssis.gif
GravAssis.gif
File:GravPoss.gif
GravPoss.gif
File:Grav slingshot diag.svg
Grav slingshot diag.svg
Mdis depart anot.ogv
File:Voyager 2 velocity vs distance from sun.svg
Voyager 2 velocity vs distance from sun.svg
File:Voyager Path.svg
Voyager Path.svg
File:Animation of Rosetta trajectory.gif
Animation of Rosetta trajectory.gif
File:Animation of Parker Solar Probe trajectory.gif
Animation of Parker Solar Probe trajectory.gif
Up Next
🚀
Oberth effect
Space
→
More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

Oberth effect 0% Orbital mechanics 0% Hohmann transfer orbit 0% Bi-elliptic transfer 0% Luna 3 0% Far side of the Moon 0%

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

Oberth effect Orbital mechanics Escape velocity Spacecraft

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

Hohmann transfer orbit Bi-elliptic transfer Luna 3 Exploration of the Moon
📚 Content adapted from Wikipedia | Readability: FK 13.3 | Vital Level 4