https://matlabhelper.com/blog/matlab/understanding-slingshot-effect/ Education is our future. MATLAB is our feature. Sun, 09 Apr 2023 18:16:37 +0000 hourly 1 https://matlabhelper.com/blog/matlab/understanding-slingshot-effect/#comments/1706 https://matlabhelper.com/?p=16915#comment-1706 Slingshot effect also known as gravitational slingshot or swing by is the use of ralational movement and gravity of of the astronomical object to alter the path and speed of the aircraft.When a spacecraft travelling towords the planet then due to gravitational field it moves around that planet and its velocity varies.
Slingshot Manoeure is elastic mechanical interaction in which both Momentum and Kinetic Energy remains constant. Spacecraft gain some Kinetic Energy due to this interaction and planet slows down and lose equivalent amout of energy.
In this we will initialise mass and velocity of both bodies (Planet and Aircraft) and consider that Kinetic and Potential energy will remain constant due to constant momentum. We will take the mass of aircraft negligible w.r.t planet. The last equation tells us that the spacecraft reverses direction, increasing speed while the planet’s velocity is unchanged. This is why the slingshot effect increases its speed and kinetic energy when passing a moving planet.
With the help of matlab we will find two graph,In First we can say that Energy gained by Spacecraft is equal to Energy lost by the planet and Second represent that Kinetic Energy remains constant on both bodies.
Rocket engines are used to change the speed of the spacecraft. However, Rocket thrust takes propellant, propellant has mass to take that amount of mass in the space we need larger requirement for the fuel. Gravity assist manoeuvres can significantly change the speed of a spacecraft without expending fuel.

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