Hohmann Transfer Orbit
By James Fluke
Contents
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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/U
nit6/unit6_sub2.htm
• http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/H
ohmann_transfer_orbit
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interplanetary_T
ransport_Network