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From a circular orbit, thrust applied in a direction opposite to the satellite's motion changes the orbit to an elliptical one; the satellite will descend and reach the lowest orbital point (the periapse) at 180 degrees away from the firing point; then it will ascend back. The period of the resultant orbit will be less than that of the original ...
A low energy transfer, or low energy trajectory, is a route in space which allows spacecraft to change orbits using very little fuel. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] These routes work in the Earth - Moon system and also in other systems, such as traveling between the satellites of Jupiter .
Orbital position vector, orbital velocity vector, other orbital elements. In astrodynamics and celestial dynamics, the orbital state vectors (sometimes state vectors) of an orbit are Cartesian vectors of position and velocity that together with their time () uniquely determine the trajectory of the orbiting body in space.
Orbit modeling is the process of creating mathematical models to simulate motion of a massive body as it moves in orbit around another massive body due to gravity. Other forces such as gravitational attraction from tertiary bodies, air resistance , solar pressure , or thrust from a propulsion system are typically modeled as secondary effects.
The diagram shows a Hohmann transfer orbit to bring a spacecraft from a lower circular orbit into a higher one. It is an elliptic orbit that is tangential both to the lower circular orbit the spacecraft is to leave (cyan, labeled 1 on diagram) and the higher circular orbit that it is to reach (red, labeled 3 on diagram).
When describing an orbit with orbital elements, typically two are needed to describe the size and shape of the trajectory, three are needed describe the rotation of the orbit, one is needed to describe the speed of motion, and two elements are needed to describe the position of the body around its orbit along with the epoch time at which this ...
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In astrodynamics, the vis-viva equation is one of the equations that model the motion of orbiting bodies.It is the direct result of the principle of conservation of mechanical energy which applies when the only force acting on an object is its own weight which is the gravitational force determined by the product of the mass of the object and the strength of the surrounding gravitational field.