5 ms·

Passing by Venus is lowering the spacecraft's periapsis, increasing the orbit's eccentricity. The lower the satellite goes, the faster it will be at periapsis.

by samhuk 5y ago

Passing by Venus is lowering the spacecraft's periapsis, increasing the orbit's eccentricity. The lower the satellite goes, the faster it will be at periapsis. Those speeds the GP comment is refering to are, in all likelihood, velocity as periapses.

areoform 5y ago
Yes, indeed! It's the magnitude of its velocity around the sun at closest approach.
cmpb 5y ago
There we go, thank you, that's the mental model I needed to bring it together