flyby

or fly-by

[ flahy-bahy ]

noun

, plural fly·bys.

1. the flight of a spacecraft close enough to a celestial object, as a planet, to gather scientific data.
2. Aeronautics.
   1. Also called flypast. a low-altitude flight of an aircraft for the benefit of ground observers.
   2. flyover ( def 1 ).

flyby

/ ˈflaɪˌbaɪ /

noun

1. a flight past a particular position or target, esp the close approach of a spacecraft to a planet or satellite for investigation of conditions

Word History and Origins

Origin of flyby¹

1950–55, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase fly by

Example Sentences

The researchers simulated what might happen if one of these primordial black holes made a flyby within the orbit of Jupiter.

From Los Angeles Times

On 26 April, the European-Japanese mission was preparing for a braking maneuver during a Mercury flyby when managers discovered the power drop.

From Science Magazine

If the current 90% thrust level can be maintained, BepiColombo should arrive at Mercury on time for the September flyby.

From Science Magazine

The tycoon in 2018 launched plans for the lunar flyby voyage.

From Seattle Times

That close flyby will propel the spacecraft back through the main asteroid belt, where it will observe asteroid Donaldjohanson in April 2025, and then move on to observe the Trojan asteroids in 2027.

From Science Daily