Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Hohmann Transfer: Small AV

Description

This lecture covers the Hohmann transfer in the case of small AV, discussing the velocity calculations and orbital parameters for different altitudes, such as 300km and 400km. The instructor explains the transfer process and summarizes the key points for Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

In MOOC

Space Mission Design and Operations

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Hohmann transfer orbit

In astronautics, the Hohmann transfer orbit (ˈhoʊmən) is an orbital maneuver used to transfer a spacecraft between two orbits of different altitudes around a central body. Examples would be used for travel between low Earth orbit and the Moon, or another solar planet or asteroid. In the idealized case, the initial and target orbits are both circular and coplanar. The maneuver is accomplished by placing the craft into an elliptical transfer orbit that is tangential to both the initial and target orbits.

Orbital elements

Orbital elements are the parameters required to uniquely identify a specific orbit. In celestial mechanics these elements are considered in two-body systems using a Kepler orbit. There are many different ways to mathematically describe the same orbit, but certain schemes, each consisting of a set of six parameters, are commonly used in astronomy and orbital mechanics. A real orbit and its elements change over time due to gravitational perturbations by other objects and the effects of general relativity.

Geostationary transfer orbit

A geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) or geosynchronous transfer orbit is a type of geocentric orbit. Satellites that are destined for geosynchronous (GSO) or geostationary orbit (GEO) are (almost) always put into a GTO as an intermediate step for reaching their final orbit. A GTO is highly elliptic. Its perigee (closest point to Earth) is typically as high as low Earth orbit (LEO), while its apogee (furthest point from Earth) is as high as geostationary (or equally, a geosynchronous) orbit.

Orbital mechanics

Orbital mechanics or astrodynamics is the application of ballistics and celestial mechanics to the practical problems concerning the motion of rockets and other spacecraft. The motion of these objects is usually calculated from Newton's laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation. Orbital mechanics is a core discipline within space-mission design and control. Celestial mechanics treats more broadly the orbital dynamics of systems under the influence of gravity, including both spacecraft and natural astronomical bodies such as star systems, planets, moons, and comets.

Bi-elliptic transfer

In astronautics and aerospace engineering, the bi-elliptic transfer is an orbital maneuver that moves a spacecraft from one orbit to another and may, in certain situations, require less delta-v than a Hohmann transfer maneuver. The bi-elliptic transfer consists of two half-elliptic orbits. From the initial orbit, a first burn expends delta-v to boost the spacecraft into the first transfer orbit with an apoapsis at some point away from the central body.

Related lectures (50)

Hohmann Transfer: Circular Orbits MOOC: Space Mission Design and Operations

Covers the Hohmann transfer technique between circular orbits and the necessary velocity changes.

Interplanetary Trajectories: Orbital Characteristics MOOC: Space Mission Design and Operations

Covers interplanetary trajectories, sphere of influence, and orbital characteristics of planets.

Orbital Motion and Kepler's Laws MOOC: Space Mission Design and Operations

Covers the two-body problem, Newton's law, gravitational perturbations, and Kepler's laws.

Elliptical Orbits: Examples and Formulas MOOC: Space Mission Design and Operations

Covers examples and formulas related to elliptical orbits and how to determine parameters of an elliptical orbit using known points.

Orbital Motion: Circular and Elliptical MOOC: Space Mission Design and Operations