4 ms·
If you plot your trajectory so that you will just slightly in front of neptune, shouldn't you be able to use it's gravity to slingshot you back towards the inne
by gpm 4y ago
If you plot your trajectory so that you will just slightly in front of neptune, shouldn't you be able to use it's gravity to slingshot you back towards the inner solar system?
I'm skeptical that it's worth it... because higher powered radios just aren't that expensive, but it's not obviously (to me) impossible either.
Actually capturing your probe back in earth orbit... probably would be prohibitively expensive. But it seems like you could at least get it close by for a shorter communication distance.
- Sharlin 4y agoAt the speeds needed to reach the outer Solar System in the first place, you would need to intersect the planet's surface (atmosphere, whatever) to get anywhere near the slingshot effect needed to throw you back to where you came from. Essentially it would only be possible with a black hole or another anomalously dense object.