Astrodynamics Committee Highlights for 2020

Spacecraft flybys again enabled and enhanced a variety of scientific missions throughout the year. Of particular interest were missions performing tours in the Inner Solar System. Parker Solar Probe completed three solar encounter phases this year; performing a Venus flyby along the way. The flyby was preceded by an activity to image comet NEOWISE, a target of much interest from observers during the year. In turn, BepiColombo, the ESA-JAXA low-thrust mission to Mercury, was observed by astronomers as it performed its Earth flyby on its seven-year tour towards the innermost planet. Joining them was ESA’s Solar Orbiter, launched in February. It will use gravity assists from Venus to raise its inclination with respect to the ecliptic to enable observations of the Sun’s polar regions. On its way to its first Venus encounter in December, Solar Orbiter passed through the ion and dust tails of Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) during late May and early June.