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Loading contentThe small, regular maneuvers that hold a spacecraft in its intended orbit or slot against perturbations — atmospheric drag, the Moon and Sun's pull, and the Earth's uneven gravity. Geostationary satellites, for instance, must be nudged north–south and east–west to stay on station, a task increasingly handed to efficient electric thrusters.
Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
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