Michael Minovitch

Michael Andrew Minovitch (c. 1936 - 16 September 2022)[1] was 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.

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