In the vast universe, one of the greatest challenges of interstellar travel is overcoming gravity and the enormous energy required for acceleration. The "gravitational slingshot" effect (or gravitational boost) is a clever invention borrowed from the laws of nature by aerospace engineers. Its principle stems from the conservation of momentum and energy conversion: when a spacecraft flies past a massive planet at a specific angle, it enters the planet's gravitational field and is "captured" and accelerated by its immense gravity. The spacecraft passes "behind" the planet, as if being "thrown" off by the rotating planet, thus gaining a significant velocity increment relative to the sun upon departure, while the planet's velocity undergoes a barely perceptible change. This is akin to jumping off the edge of a moving giant wheel and gaining extra speed—a magical method of acquiring kinetic energy "for free" using celestial motion. Our "Relay Flight" interactive exhibit clearly visualizes
