Zero-propellant maneuver

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/zero-propellant-maneuver

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 key maneuver types?Gravitational assists (slingshot effect) and solar radiation pressure propulsion (solar sails)
2. What is the historical application?Mariner 10 (1974) demonstrated gravity assist; IKAROS (2010) demonstrated solar sailing
3. How can a spaceship move without fuel?By flying close to a planet, a spacecraft can use the planet’s gravity to speed up or slow down, like a slingshot. It also can catch tiny pushes from sunlight that hit a big, light sail.
4. Why do astronauts use gravity assists?Gravity assists let a spacecraft borrow a little speed from a planet’s orbit. The planet’s gravity pulls the ship, making it go faster or change direction without using fuel.

Momentum: A measure of an object's mass in motion, calculated as mass times velocity.
Gravitational Assist: A maneuver where a spacecraft uses the gravity of a celestial body to change its velocity and trajectory.
Solar Radiation Pressure: The force exerted by photons from the Sun on a surface, capable of propelling a spacecraft with a solar sail.