gravity assist

Noun

 * 1)  The favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body.
 * 2) * 2009 Oct. 2, "MESSENGER Gains Critical Gravity Assist For Mercury Orbital Observations," spacedaily.com (retrieved 4 Sep. 2011) :
 * MESSENGER successfully flew by Mercury yesterday, gaining a critical gravity assist that will enable it to enter orbit about Mercury in 2011.
 * 1) * 2009 Oct. 2, "MESSENGER Gains Critical Gravity Assist For Mercury Orbital Observations," spacedaily.com (retrieved 4 Sep. 2011) :
 * MESSENGER successfully flew by Mercury yesterday, gaining a critical gravity assist that will enable it to enter orbit about Mercury in 2011.

Derived terms

 * / JGA

Translations

 * Finnish: painovoimalinko
 * German: Gravitationsmanöver, Schwerkraftumlenkung, Swing-by, Vorbeischwungmanöver
 * Hungarian: gravitációs tér felhasználása
 * Turkish: kütleçekimsel sapan