plastic_astronomer t1_it1sl8o wrote
Reply to comment by ElongatedTime in NASA’s Lucy swings by the Earth for the first of three times, just skimming the atmosphere to steal momentum on her way to Jupiter by tectonic
It 100% gains momentum. The Earth slows down just a tiny bit and that momentum is given to the space craft. Not just a change in direction but also straight up faster. You can read more here. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist
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