AmberG and NRaoAmber G. wrote:Yes, it will return to the same (almost) position where it last got the boost from the rocket (Dec 1 ?).. ( assuming there is no further rocket burn (mid course correction - or retro-firing near Mars) and it is not disturbed by other planets ..there will be small perturbation due to Jupiter, Mars (when the probe is close - you may get bigger effect), Earth and Venus but the perturbation will indeed be small)NRao wrote:B TW, I had seen a graphic (since I was viewing it on my iPod I was unable to post it here and have since lost the URL), which showed that if the MOM was not captured by Mars, then MOM would return to the very position where it left earth.
"Almost" in Sun's reference frame. Bu the entire solar system is moving towards Vega at a great speed. In Vega's reference frame, it is at a completely different point. Reference frames need to be mentioned.
Also, the if stellar - natural or artificial - bodies are not perturbed due to each other's gravitational forces, then the whole universe would have been a clock work but there is inflation.