It can if it loses mass, correct? Energy conservation would result in increased momentum.
Re:Oumuamua may be a hydrogen iceberg
by fennecfoxen on Thursday June 04, 2020 @08:29AM
(#23415703)
Yes. Your mass in low Sol orbit has a much higher specific orbital energy, so thrusting a rocket or ejecting mass while at or near perihelion makes more of a difference than doing so in deep space.
You can only slingshot around the sun if you were already in a hyperbolic orbit w.r.t the sun. An object in a closed helio centric orbit cannot gain any momentum by "slingshotting" around the sun.