Virtual pilots could boost slingshots round the planets

摘要

Could space probes use genetic algorithms as autopilots to help them navigate the complexities of the solar system?rnDeep-space missions such as NASA's veteran Voyager probes often rely on gravity assists. They use a planet's gravitational field as a slingshot, which allows them to visit other celestial bodies without using up too much fuel. But programming a probe with it trajectory years ahead of time car be a problem, says Ian Carnelli of the European Space Agency in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.