Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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How does a gravity assist work? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explain the slingshot effect and the spacecraft that we’ve sent out of the solar system with it (like Pioneer and Voyager missions). Is Pluto secretly the savior of humanity due to blunder on Pioneer 10 & 11’s gold plaques?

We break it down…

Timestamps:
00:00 - The Slingshot Effect
01:25 - Pioneer 10 & 11: The First to Exit the Solar System
05:22 - Voyager & New Horizons
06:47 - How Gravity Assists Actually Speed You Up
08:07 - How to Fall Into the Sun
09:36 - Closing Thoughts

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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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