Michael A. Minovitch | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | California UCLA |
| Known for | Calculating spacecraft trajectories |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Doctoral advisor | Shoshichi Kobayashi |
Michael Andrew Minovitch (born c. 1936)[1] is an American mathematician who developed gravity assist technique when he was a UCLA graduate student and working summers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[2][3]
In 1961 Minovitch began using the fastest available computer at the time, the IBM 7090, to solve the three-body problem. He ran simulations and developed his own solution by 1962.[1]
The first mission to use a gravity assist was Pioneer 10, which increased its velocity from 52,000 km/h to 132,000 km/h as it passed by Jupiter in December, 1973.[4][5]
Minovitch patented a vehicle for space travel under the patent title Magnetic propulsion system and operating method, US Patent 6193194 B1.
References
- 1 2 Christopher Riley and Dallas Campbell (October 23, 2012). "The maths that made Voyager possible". BBC News. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
- ↑ Minovitch, Michael (July 11, 1961). "An Alternative Method for Determination of Elliptic and Hyperbolic Trajectories" (PDF). Jet Propulsion Laboratory Technical Memos (TM-312-118).
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ Minovitch, Michael (August 23, 1961). "A Method For Determining Interplanetary Free-Fall Reconnaissance Trajectories" (PDF). Jet Propulsion Laboratory Technical Memos (TM-312-130): 38–44.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ "The Pioneer Missions". nasa.gov. March 26, 2007. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
- ↑ Bill Casselman. "Slingshots and Space shots". American Mathematical Society. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
External links
- Michael Minovitch at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- Jupiter swing-by trajectories passing near the earth Includes comprehensive history of the development of gravity-assist trajectories.
- Interview of Michael Minovitch by BBC Horizon on YouTube
- Gravity-assist "Slingshot", Background, principle, applications, Part 1 and 2 on EEWorldOnline.com
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.