gravity assist
noun/ˈɡɹævɪti əˈsɪst/
Definitions
The favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its…
The favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body.
- After going into orbit around Jupiter with a gravity assist from the volcanic moon Io, Galileo will spend 22 months studying the planet.
- Cassini is supposed to swing by Earth in 1999 for a gravity assist that would sling it out toward Saturn.
- MESSENGER successfully flew by Mercury yesterday, gaining a critical gravity assist that will enable it to enter orbit about Mercury in 2011.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for gravity assist. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA