Gravity assist

Gravity assist is when something like a spaceship, flying object, or satellite uses a planet's gravity like a slingshot to get speed and direction.

It's like when you throw a ball at the wall and it bounces back to you faster and in a different direction. When a spaceship uses a planet's gravity, it can get a boost in speed and go in a different direction without using as much fuel.

Imagine you're playing a game of catch with a friend. If you just throw the ball directly at your friend, they might catch it easily. But if you throw the ball at a wall behind your friend, the ball will bounce off the wall and your friend can catch it much faster than if you threw it directly at them. It's the same with a planet and a spaceship. The planet is like the wall, and the spaceship is like the ball.

Scientists use gravity assist to help spacecraft explore our solar system. For example, they might send a spacecraft past Venus, which is closer to the Sun than Earth. By using Venus's gravity, the spacecraft can get enough speed to get to the outer planets like Jupiter or Saturn.

Gravity assist is a very important tool for spacecraft to explore beyond our planet without using too much fuel. It's like getting a free ride from a planet!