Meanings
plural gravity assists · alternative gravitational assist · alternative gravity-assist
- astrophysicsThe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body.
Cassini is supposed to swing by Earth in 1999 for a gravity assist that would sling it out toward Saturn.
1997 September 22, Dick Thompson, Michael D. Lemonick, “Nukes in Space”, in Time2 more examples
After going into orbit around Jupiter with a gravity assist from the volcanic moon Io, Galileo will spend 22 months studying the planet.
1989 October 10, Warren E. Leary, “Galileo's Itinerary”, in New York Times, retrieved 04 Sep 2011MESSENGER successfully flew by Mercury yesterday, gaining a critical gravity assist that will enable it to enter orbit about Mercury in 2011.
2009 Oct. 2, "MESSENGER Gains Critical Gravity Assist For Mercury Orbital Observations," spacedaily.com (retrieved 4 Sep. 2011)Synonyms: gravitational slingshot, gravity slingshot
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body.
Translations
Finnish painovoimalinko
- painovoimalinkothe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body
German Gravitationsmanöver, Schwerkraftumlenkung
- Gravitationsmanöverthe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body
- Schwerkraftumlenkungthe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body
- Swing-bythe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body
- Vorbeischwungmanöverthe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body
Hungarian gravitációs tér felhasználása
- gravitációs tér felhasználásathe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body
Polish asysta grawitacyjna
- asysta grawitacyjnathe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body
Turkish kütleçekimsel sapan
- kütleçekimsel sapanthe favorable alteration of the speed and trajectory of a spacecraft as a result of its passing near to a celestial body
Cite this entry
gravity assist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20assist
“gravity assist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20assist. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gravity assist,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gravity%20assist.
Source: gravity assist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.