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GTO is a highly elliptical Earth orbit with an apogee (the point in the orbit of the moon or a satellite at which it is furthest from the earth) of 42,164 km (26,199 mi), [3] or a height of 35,786 km (22,236 mi) above sea level, which corresponds to the geostationary altitude.
Most launch vehicles place geostationary satellites directly into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), an elliptical orbit with an apogee at GEO height and a low perigee. On-board satellite propulsion is then used to raise the perigee, circularise and reach GEO.
Geostationary or geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO): An elliptic orbit where the perigee is at the altitude of a low Earth orbit (LEO) and the apogee at the altitude of a geostationary orbit. Hohmann transfer orbit: An orbital maneuver that moves a spacecraft from one circular orbit to another using two engine impulses.
Transfer orbits using electrical propulsion or low-thrust engines optimize the transfer time to reach the final orbit and not the delta-v as in the Hohmann transfer orbit. For geostationary orbit, the initial orbit is set to be supersynchronous and by thrusting continuously in the direction of the velocity at apogee, the transfer orbit ...
After being launched into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), it used solar powered ion engines for propulsion. As a result of its extremely low delta-v TLI maneuver, the spacecraft took over 13 months to reach a lunar orbit and 17 months to reach its desired orbit.
For example, although more fuel is needed to transfer a heavier communication satellite from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit than for a lighter one, the delta-v required is the same. Delta- v is also additive, as contrasted to rocket burn time, the latter having greater effect later in the mission when more fuel has been used up.
It was used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), low Earth orbit (LEO) or further into space. The launch vehicle had a streak of 82 consecutive successful launches between 9 April 2003 and 12 December 2017. Since 2014, [4] Ariane 6, a direct successor system, first launched in 2024. [5]
The launch was successful, placing the WGS-7 into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), from which the spacecraft raised itself into geostationary orbit using its onboard propulsion system. The satellite was designated USA-263 under the U.S. military's designation system , and received the International Designator 2015-036A and Satellite ...