What is a flyby mission in space exploration?
Quick Answer
A flyby mission sends a spacecraft past a planet, moon, asteroid, or comet without entering orbit or landing. It is a fast way to gather close-up data on many targets.
The Full Story
Flyby missions are designed to pass near a target body and collect images, measurements, and sometimes samples of its environment as the spacecraft speeds by. Because they do not need the fuel required to slow down into orbit or land, flybys are often cheaper and can be used to explore multiple destinations on one mission. The Voyager spacecraft and NASA’s New Horizons mission are famous examples of flyby-based exploration. Flybys have revealed details about planetary atmospheres, rings, moons, and small bodies that were impossible to see clearly from Earth.
Key Facts
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