Planetary flyby

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/planetary-flyby

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the astrodynamics principle?Conservation of momentum and energy in a three-body problem (Sun-Planet-Spacecraft)
2. What is the delta-v equivalence?Provides significant velocity change (delta-v) without propellant expenditure
3. How does a spaceship use a planet's gravity to go faster?As the spaceship gets close to a planet, the planet pulls it, speeding it up. The spaceship then swings around and leaves with more energy than it had before.
4. Why did Voyager use a planetary flyby?Voyager 1 and 2 used flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, and other planets to gain speed and visit many outer planets without using too much fuel.

Astrodynamics: The study of the motion of spacecraft and the forces that affect them.
Delta-v: The measure of the impulse needed to change a spacecraft's velocity.
Sphere of Influence: The region around a celestial body where its gravity dominates over other bodies.