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It's the same reason the Voyagers launched in the late 70s - the Grand Tour configuration of the planets [0]. The outer planets align in a way that lets you cha
by thatcherc 3y ago
It's the same reason the Voyagers launched in the late 70s - the Grand Tour configuration of the planets [0]. The outer planets align in a way that lets you chain together several gravity assists to achieve high enough speeds to escape the solar system. The trick is that configuration only occurs every 175 years. I don't think we have any space vehicles right now that could produce that same kind of delta-v with their own chemical/electrical/nuclear power.
[0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tour_program https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tour_program
- skykooler 3y agoIt's feasible to do an alternate route to the outer solar system by using an ion engine, dropping the perihelion down below Venus's orbit and then using a Venus -> Earth gravity assist chain with the ion engine going the whole time. The downside is that this is a more lengthy process than the Grand Tour route, and you have to do all your maneuvers in the inner solar system because ion engines draw a lot of electrical power and solar panels get very weak once you get past Mars or so.