Am 13.05.2017 um 12:59 schrieb Kenneth:

> As far as I know, there is no exact solution or *equation* for solving the
> "n-body problem", except for special cases where one or more of the variables is
> simplified.
> 
> I think this is the reason why interplanetary spacecraft need 'course
> corrections' every now and then, to arrive at their destinations. There are just
> too many interacting variables to consider.

I don't think so; the trajectories of spacecraft can be computed
numerically (simulated, if you will) with pretty good precision. There
are plenty other reasons for course corrections:

Some course corrections are simply inevitable, e.g. to enter or leave a
stable orbit around a celestial body.

Other course corrections are there to compensate for known
non-gravitational effects that cannot be compensated for by adjusting
the initial trajectory. An example would be decelerating effects on
orbital trajectories, such as atmospheric drag.

Spacecraft orbiting earth for any reasonably long duration will also
undergo occasional course corrections to evade pieces of "space junk".

Yet other course corrections are performed to compensate for influences
that would be impossible to predict with sufficient precision in
advance, such as mechanical tolerances in the propulsion systems,
acceleration due to non-uniform thermal radiation from the space probe,
interaction with coronar mass ejections, and other some such.

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