Gravitational Assists
Gravitational assist, also known as a gravity assist, 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 takes advantage of the planet's gravity to increase or decrease its speed and change its direction. This technique is commonly used to save fuel and time in interplanetary missions, as it allows spacecraft to reach their destination with less fuel and in a shorter amount of time. Gravitational assists have been used in many space missions, including the Voyager missions, the Galileo mission to Jupiter, and the New Horizons mission to Pluto.
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