mass for an interplanetary space probe whereas Jupiter has a mass of almost 2 × 10²⁴ metric tons. Therefore, a one-ton spacecraft passing Jupiter will theoretically cause the planet to lose approximately 5 × 10^-25 km/s of orbital velocity for every km/s of velocity relative to the Sun gained by the spacecraft. For all practical purposes the effects on the planet can be ignored in the calculation.

Realistic portrayals of encounters