Gravity Assist Trajectory
Gravity assist trajectory, also known as gravitational slingshot, is a spaceflight maneuver that uses the gravity of a planet or other celestial body to alter the trajectory and speed of a spacecraft. The spacecraft approaches the planet in a way that it gains momentum from the planet's gravity and then slingshots off it, gaining or losing speed and changing direction. This technique is commonly used to save fuel and time in interplanetary missions, as it allows the spacecraft to reach its destination with less fuel and in a shorter time. Gravity assist trajectories have been used in many space missions, including the Voyager missions, the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, and the New Horizons mission to Pluto.
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