Orbits And Celestial Mechanics Codexery

Hohmann transfer orbit

An orbital maneuver using two burns to transfer between orbits.

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A spacecraft can be moved between two coplanar circular orbits by a Hohmann transfer, which relies on two instantaneous impulses.[1][2]

Quick Facts

Named after
Walter Hohmann
Field
Astronautics
Publication
Die Erreichbarkeit der Himmelskörper (The Attainability of Celestial Bodies)

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

The two burns are labeled the periapsis and apoapsis burns, or perigee and apogee burns for Earth orbits.[1] A Hohmann transfer can also bring a spacecraft from a higher orbit into a lower one by firing the engine opposite to the direction of travel.[1] The bi-elliptic transfer, first published by Ary Sternfeld in 1934, consists of two half-elliptic orbits and requires one more engine burn than a Hohmann transfer.[3][4][5] Kurd Lasswitz, a German science fiction author, and his 1897 book Two Planets were an influence on Walter Hohmann.[6]

In a perfect Hohmann transfer, the spacecraft travels precisely 180° around the central body.[2] At the lower altitude, a second engine firing decelerates the spacecraft so it enters the lower circular orbit.[1] In practice, the actual path around the primary may be a little more or a little less than 180°.[2] Orbits that go beyond 360° around the primary are possible, with Type III and Type IV defined as Type I or Type II respectively plus an additional full revolution of 360°.[7]

What the cited sources add

A 2014 Universe Today article notes that the Hohmann transfer method is the current preferred method for sending spacecraft to Mars, involving a full-speed approach and a braking maneuver.[8] The same article states that the Hohmann transfer method is time-tested and reliable, with the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) being a successful application.[8] The Scientific American article explains that ballistic capture involves sending a spacecraft ahead of Mars' orbital path for the planet to gravitationally snag it.[9] A 2019 blog post describes the Beresheet spacecraft's lunar orbit insertion maneuver, where it thrusted against its path to remove velocity.[10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Hohmann transfer orbit" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jonathan McDowell, "Kick In the Apogee: 40 years of upper stage applications for solid rocket motors, 1957-1997", 33rd AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference, July 4, (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Hohmann transfer orbit" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: NASA, Basics of Space Flight, Section 1, Chapter 4, "Trajectories". Retrieved 26 July 2017. Also available spaceodyssey.dmns.org .; Tyson Sparks, Trajectories to Mars , Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research, 12/14/2012. Retrieved 25 July 2017. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Hohmann transfer orbit" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sternfeld, "Sur les trajectoires permettant d'approcher d'un corps attractif central à partir d'une orbite keplérienne donnée", Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences, 1934-02-12, p. 711–713 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Hohmann transfer orbit" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Curtis, "Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students", Elsevier, 2005, p. 264 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Hohmann transfer orbit" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vallado, "Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications", Springer, 2001, p. 318 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Hohmann transfer orbit" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Walter Hohmann, The Attainability of Heavenly Bodies (Washington: NASA Technical Translation F-44, 1960) Internet Archive. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Hohmann transfer orbit" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Langevin, Y. (2005). "Design issues for Space Science Missions," Payload and Mission Definition in Space Sciences, V. Mártínez Pillet, A. Aparicio, and F. Sánch (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Williams, "Making the Trip to Mars Cheaper and Easier: The Case for Ballistic Capture", Universe Today, 2014-12-26. facts only, no text reused. universetoday.com
  9. Hadhazy, "A New Way to Reach Mars Safely, Anytime and on the Cheap", Scientific American. facts only, no text reused. scientificamerican.com
  10. "An Introduction to Beresheet and Its Trajectory to the Moon", Gereshes, 2019-04-08. facts only, no text reused. gereshes.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Hohmann transfer orbit (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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