Word: orbiter
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...program to put a man in orbit and bring him back alive, called Project Mercury, is distinct from the tests scheduled for the stub-winged X-15 already built by North American Aviation. Inc. Essentially an extra-tough airplane, the X-15 will climb into nearby space under its own rocket power and glide quickly back to earth under full control. Project Mercury's space capsule will be designed to achieve an around-the-earth orbit, but it will land passively by parachute...
Except for peeks at the optical display and conversation with the ground, the pilot will have little to do in his orbit around the earth. An automatic attitude sensor will operate the gas jets that keep the capsule from rolling. Then, at a signal from the ground or from the pilot himself, the jets will somersault the capsule, turn it so that its retrorockets can fire and slow its speed...
...Mars, whose orbit is outside the earth's, the spaceship must climb up the side of the sun's gravitational pit-by speeding up. To reach Venus it must climb down-by slowing down...
...voyage to Mars the space navigator takes his departure from earth in the same direction that the earth is moving around its orbit (see chart). His ship must have a speed of only 870 m.p.h. over escape velocity. The excess speed is added to the earth's orbital speed (66,600 m.p.h.) that the spaceship had before it was launched. This is enough to offset the sun's gravitational pull, allows the ship to swing outward in an ellipse. If the timing is right, it makes a rendezvous with Mars on its orbit...
...voyage to Venus, which revolves nearer the sun, the space navigator starts his ship in the direction opposite to the earth's orbital motion. Its net departure speed above escape velocity is subtracted from the orbital speed. This makes it move too slowly to stay on the earth's orbit, so the sun's gravitation curves it inward to Venus...