Hohmann Transfer OrbitBy James Fluke

Contents

• Summary• What is it? How is it used?• Walter Hohmann• Interplanetary Transport Network• Cassini Mission to Jupiter• Sources

Quick Summary

• The Hohmann transfer orbit is used for interplanetary travel and designed to use very little fuel

• It was first thought of by German scientist Walter Hohmann

• Created many paths which could someday be used to send probes to even more planets

• Used recently in the Cassini Mission

What Is It and How Is It Used?

• ½ of an elliptic orbit that touches the orbits of earth and the target planet

• For using the least amount of fuel: engine fired once to put the object into the transfer orbit then a second time to make the orbit circular

• Takes ½ the orbital period of outer orbit

Walter Hohmann

Named for Walter Hohmann, a German physicist who published his description of the maneuver in 1925

Interplanetary Transport Network

In 1997 a series of Hohmann transfer paths throughout the solar system was published. It would use as little energy as possible, although it would be very slow

Cassini Mission

The Cassini Mission used a Hohmann Transfer Orbit to reach Jupiter and its moon Titan

It took 7 years to reach Jupiter, yet the Cassini satellite and Huygens probe continue to send us valuable information

Overview

• A maneuver designed to use as little fuel as possible

• First described by namesake German physicist• Led to Interplanetary Transport Network• Used by Cassini/Huygens Mission to Jupiter

Sources

• http://www.polaris.iastate.edu/EveningStar/Unit6/unit6_sub2.htm

• http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Hohmann_transfer_orbit

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_Transport_Network