What is "Jupiter Gravity Assist"?

Question

and how does it work? know any good websites?

Answer 1

Gravity assist usually refers to using a planet's gravity to provide extra velocity to a space vehicle (probe). I believe the one of the Voyager satellites used this to slingshot to a faster speed.

Basically put the object approaches on a "near collision" course with the planet. The gravity begins to cause the object to accellerate, but as it gets close to Jupiter, rather than hitting it, it's course is altered and accellerated.

Wikipedia has a great article on this

Answer 2

It is a method of using a large body's gravitational field to change the speed and course of a some vehicle.

The Voyager probes used it to re-task to Saturn around Jupiter. It was done by the Apollo missions as well - it gravity can do it, why use rockets?

Voyager gained momentum and Jupiter lost the exact same amount (law of conservation of matter and energy), but although very noticeable to Voyager, it was negligible to Jupiter.

The novel 2001 I think was where it was first proposed, again to slingshot past Jupiter and then again to slow down and park itself into orbit around Saturn's moon Iapetus (Japetus in the novel).

Note: The novel was going to Saturn, not Jupiter. The film switched to Jupiter because Saturn's rings were too difficult from a special effects standpoint but in the book, the rings had been created by the monolith as a beacon of sorts - this is odd so when you are able, go here first)

The reason this is done is because any opportunity space flight can use to save fuel is a good idea.

Answer 3

It works well with any massive body, not just Jupiter. Of course, Jupiter, being the most massive planet, gives the biggest boost.

The links below are good descriptions.

Answer 4

you can use any planet for a slingshot. Here's an analogy. You're ice skating and you come up to some one from behind as they skate forward. They reach back and grab your hand and pull you passed them. You get a boost from them not only because the grabbed you but because the gave up some of their forward motion to you.

Instead of a skater, we use the planet and instead of being grabbed by the hand, the craft gets grabbed by gravity. The planet actually slows down ever so slowly that it can't be measured.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_slingshot