Submitted 7 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/4788a91e-4400-444f-bfab-e991a6aace8a.jpeg
You are gaining (or losing) energy based on if you are traveling in the same direction at the planet or not.
If you are coming from behind (travelling in the same direction) you an falling into the gravity well for longer. Thus gaining more energy. The extra energy is based on the speed of the planet through space.
Conversely if you an coming from the front, you fall for a shorter period. You lose energy at you climb up the gravity well.
So you gain speed if you circle rotation-wise and lose it if you circle counter-rotation wise?
Is that how they did it in 2010?
No, it’s hard to explain without diagrams.
But as you fall towards a planet (any gravity well); you pick up speed, if the planet is moving away from you, you fall for longer before you catch up. As you climb back up, you don’t spend all of the energy you gained on the way down. That difference is the Slingshot effect.
It also works in reverse, if the planet is moving towards you. You catch up quicker, thus gain less speed. And spend overall more energy than you gained when you climb back out. Slowing down in the process.
What bothers me is I often read they are using the planet’s gravity to gain speed. Whatever speed an objet may gain while entering orbit should be lost when exiting this, right ? So I guess it’s the cinetic energy of the planet that is actually fuelling the spacecraft, isn’t it ?
Whatever speed an objet may gain while entering orbit should be lost when exiting it, right ?
That is true from the frame of reference of the planet. From the frame of a 3rd distant object that you want to accelerate towards, it appears you have gained momentum.
So I guess it’s the cinetic energy of the planet that is actually fuelling the spacecraft, isn’t it ?
Yes, but the mechanism for ‘extracting’ the kinetic energy from the planet is by using ‘gravity’, hence the name, “Gravitational Slingshot”.
Yes. If the planet was stationary in space, it wouldn’t work. Approach from ‘behind’ the planet and you get a boost, approach from the ‘front’ and you hit the brakes.
This is a sling. Bottom right corner is a catapult and uses stored energy (the elastic - sorry if wrong wording.) To me at least the idea of sling that pivots around the user’s hand is much closer to the action of using a planet’s gravitational pull to sling a satellite onwards.
You wouldn’t want to do it with a satellite and I’ve only ever heard of it being called a slingshot (which usually refers to the device pictured in the meme, likely increasing clarity) or a gravity assist.
The motion does seem to be more accurate though.
Good point! A satellite is more likely to orbit a planet monitoring things I guess? It’s been a while since I’ve played Kerbal Space Program!
Ironic that Goliath was defeated by a sling and now our solar system’s Goliath is a sling
It’s also a shield for earth.
but jupiter also slings a lot towards earth too
Not really. It does pull some in, but not directly at earth, and the majority is either “eaten” by Jupiter or slung out of the system.
Jupiter’s pull is so great, compared to earth, that the ones that do get past or then pulled more towards the sun.
At least that is how my professor described it.
Imagine bouncy spring soundeffect for full enjoyment
I can’t help but infer a joke about NASAs budget.
Context?
NASA uses Jupiter’s gravity well to slingshot craft into farther orbits.
Spacecraft can use the gravitional energy from Jupiter to perform a “slingshot” maneuver, gaining significant momentum and reaching the outer solar system with less fuel.
Jupiter is used as a gravity assist to launch satellites further. This maneuver is known as a slingshot.
Ah ok. I remember we also did this with the Moon
What worries me is that they’re stealing a little bit of Jupiter’s momentum every time. If they’re not careful it’ll fall towards the sun and we’ll have a Jupiter landing on our heads.
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What I see: level up flush
Fellow Balatro enjoyer
LMFAO
Wolf@lemmy.today 6 months ago
ITT, a bunch of people who simultaneously admit that they don’t really know for sure arguing with the people explaining it to them.
It’s ok to not know things. It’s okay to be confused. It’s much better to ask for clarification or do your own research than to tell people who do know that they are wrong.
Why are we like this?