ORBIT

MANEUVER
IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN TO:
• Calculate the impulsive maneuvers
• Define coplanar maneuver
• Calculate Hohnmann transfer
• Calculate orbital plane change
 INTRODUCTION
To transfer spacecraft
from one orbit to
another
Maneuver to higher orbit
- Increase satellite Field-of-
Types
view (FOV) - In-plane: Change in
- Counteract atmospheric size/period, argument
effects
of perigee, true
Maneuver to lower orbit anomaly
- Increase imaging resolution
- Out-of-Plane: Change
- Satellite rendezvous
in inclination, RAAN
- De-orbit

Orbit
transfer
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 IMPULSIVE MANEUVERS
• Brief firings of onboard rocket motors to change the magnitude
and direction of the velocity vector instantaneously.
• Each impulsive maneuver results in a change in v in the
velocity of the spacecraft.
• v is related to m, the mass propellant consumed (m = mp)

v
m 
I sp g o Ideal rocket equation
 1 e
m
thrust
I sp 
sea - level weight rate of fuel consumptio n

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 IMPULSIVE MANEUVERS

• Techniques of impulsive maneuver

Hohmann transfer

Bi-elliptic Hohmann transfer

Phasing maneuvers

Non-Hohmann transfers with a common apse line

Apse line rotation

Chase maneuvers

Plane change maneuvers

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IN-PLANE ORBIT CHANGES

+ velocity

Circle ΔV Ellipse

5
IN-PLANE MANEUVER

OBSERVATION 1

∆𝑽 = 𝑽𝟐 − 𝑽𝟏
V2 ΔV
∆𝑉 = ∆𝑽 = 𝑽𝟐 − 𝑽𝟏
1
∆𝐸 = 2 𝑉22 − 𝑉12
V1
1
= ∆𝑉 2 + 𝑽𝟏 ∙ ∆𝑽
2

ΔV most efficient when:

- Parallel to original velocity
- Original velocity is largest
- ΔV is delivered instantaneously

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 IN-PLANE MANEUVER

OBSERVATION 2
In general,
(∆𝑉)2 = 𝑉12 + 𝑉22 − 2𝑉1 𝑉2 𝑐𝑜𝑠 ∆𝜃 V2 ΔV
When V1=V2=V:

(∆𝑉)2 = 𝑉 2 + 𝑉 2 − 2𝑉𝑉𝑐𝑜𝑠 ∆𝜃 V1
(∆𝑉)2 = 2𝑉 2 (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠 ∆𝜃 )

Dog legs maneuver - ΔV most efficient when:

- Original velocity is smallest
- ΔV is delivered instantaneously

** so-called dogleg maneuver change the orientation of the velocity and magnitude

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 IMPULSIVE SHOTS

Vi ΔVcombined
ΔV1
Δθ ΔV2

Vf

𝑉𝑓 > 𝑉𝑖
Option 1: first ΔV1, then ΔV2
2
Option 2: ∆𝑉𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 =𝑉𝑖2 + 𝑉𝑓2 − 2𝑉𝑖 𝑉𝑓 cos(∆𝜃)
(ΔVcombined )2≤ ΔV1 + ΔV2

** the target velocity Vf stretches all the way from lower left to lower right

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 IMPULSIVE SHOTS

Vi ΔVcombined
ΔV1
Δθ ΔV2

Vf

Example:
Transfer from circular parking orbit at 185 km and i = 28.5° to pericentre of parabolic
orbit with i = 0°

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 IMPULSIVE SHOTS

Exercise:

Consider a situation where a geostationary satellite has developed an inclination of 5°.

The operators want to return its nominal orbit where i = 0°.

a) With orbital period of geostationary satellite is 23h 56m 4s, calculate the semi major
axis

b) Compute the velocity in geostationary orbit

c) Compute the ΔV required to make this inclination change

μEarth = 398600 km3/s2

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 HOHNMANN TRANSFER

• Energy efficient
• Coplanar
transfer
• Elliptical orbit
tangent to both
circles orbit at its
apse line.

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HOHNMANN TRANSFER

From inner orbit 1 to

outer orbit 2:

The most efficient

transfer is from
perigee A of orbit 1,
regardless of
whether B or B’ is
apogee of orbit 2.

If orbit 1 is a circle,
the target point
should be the
apogee of orbit 2.

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HOHNMANN TRANSFER

From outer orbit 2 to

inner orbit 1:
The most efficient
transfer is to perigee A
of orbit 1, regardless
of whether B or B’ is
apogee of orbit 2.
If orbit 1 is a circle, the
starting point should
be the apogee of orbit
2.

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 HOHNMANN TRANSFER

1
𝑎 𝑇 = 𝑟1 + 𝑟2
2

2 1 1
∆𝑉1 = 𝑉𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖,𝑇 − 𝑉𝑐,1 = 𝜇 − −
𝑟1 𝑎 𝑇 𝑟1

1 2 1
∆𝑉2 = 𝑉𝑐,2 − 𝑉𝑎𝑝𝑜,𝑇 = 𝜇 − −
𝑟2 𝑟2 𝑎 𝑇

1 𝑎3𝑇
𝑇𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟 = 𝑇𝑇 = 𝜋
2 𝜇

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 HOHNMANN TRANSFER

Exercise 3

A spacecraft is in a 300 km circular earth orbit. Calculate

(a) the total delta-v required for a Hohmann transfer to a 3000 km coplanar

circular earth orbit and

(b) the transfer orbit time.

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 PLANE CHANGE MANEUVERS
• accomplished by applying an out-of-plane impulse at
intersection of the initial and final orbit

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 PLANE CHANGE MANEUVERS

Plane change maneuver

Spacecraft need unaltered by the plane change, thus

𝑉𝑖 = 𝑉𝑓
* Orbit shape is unaffected – e, a and r are unchanged 17