This artist’s concept shows an example of a gravitational assist maneuver, used by spacecraft to travel through the solar system. In this example, the spacecraft flies close by Mars, then by Jupiter, ...

On 19–20 August 2024, ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) will achieve a world first: using the gravity of the Moon and then Earth to bend its path through space, bringing it one step closer to ...

A 43-minute burn set the stage for JUICE's upcoming 'double gravity assist' to propel it towards Jupiter. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how ...

In March 2024, China launched two satellites, DRO-A and DRO-B, as part of an ambitious mission aimed at positioning them in a distant retrograde orbit (DRO) around the moon. Their task was to provide ...

After launching a pair of satellites last year that failed to reach the right orbit around the moon, China's Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) came up with a novel tactic — ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. The European Space ...

(CNN) — The European Space Agency’s Juice mission is making two historic firsts on its long journey to study the potential habitability of Jupiter’s icy moons. The Juice, or Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer ...

(CNN) — The European Space Agency’s Juice mission is about to make two historic firsts on its long journey to study the potential habitability of Jupiter’s icy moons. The Juice, or Jupiter Icy Moons ...

A visualization of the Lucy spacecraft, with Earth in background at right. Illustration: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio - Walt Feimer, Jenny McElligott, Jonathan North, Krystofer Kim, Kel ...

In “Slingshot,” a space-travel thriller directed by Mikael Håfström, the title refers to a risky flight maneuver involving orbital mechanics. Astronauts journeying a billion and a half miles to one of ...

You’ve probably watched this sort of science-fiction scene more than once: some stalwart starship captain and their crew are fleeing from aliens/escaping a supernova/running out of fuel and are ...