NASA’s Europa Clipper is using Mars and Earth’s gravity to travel efficiently to Jupiter. The spacecraft will study Europa’s ice and ocean.

Getting from Earth to space isn’t just about speed—it’s about planning the right trajectory. The Moon, our closest neighbor, ...

The James Webb Space Telescope is investigating the Flame Nebula, hunting for "failed stars" to better understand how brown ...

After that, it's a straightforward trek to the outer solar system; the probe is set to arrive at Jupiter's orbit in April 2030. "We come in very fast, and the gravity from Mars acts on the ...

Gravity assists have become common practice for spacecraft venturing to the far reaches of our solar system. For instance, last year, the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE ...

Objects under the influence of a gravitational field will move toward the field's center of gravity. Sometimes, as with the Sun and Jupiter, their mutual center of gravity or barycenter lies ...

Using data collected by NASA's Juno spacecraft as it flew past Jupiter's highly volcanic moon ... above the surface of Mars for what's known as a gravity assist—a maneuver to bend the ...

After that it should be smooth sailing out to Jupiter. The Europa Clipper is packed with a total of nine instruments (including radars, magnetometers, sensors, a thermal instrument, and a gravity ...

These so-called ‘gravity assists’ will provide Europa Clipper with the velocity needed to reach Jupiter in 2030,” said NASA. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused.