INTERPLANETARY

TRAJECTORIES
IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN TO:
Define Hohnmann transfer for interplanetary mission
Calculate rendezvous opportunities
Calculate sphere of influence
Define method of patched conics
Calculate planetary departures
Calculate sensitivity analysis
Define lunar trajectory
 INTERPLANETARY HOHNMANN TRANSFER

The most energy efficient way for spacecraft to be transferred

from one planets orbit to another.
The orbits of the planets involved must lie in the same plane.

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 INTERPLANETARY HOHNMANN TRANSFER

Transfer from inner planet 1 to outer planet 2

Velocity increment at D:

(positive)

Velocity increment at A:

(positive)

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 INTERPLANETARY HOHNMANN TRANSFER

Transfer from outer planet 1 to inner planet 2

Velocity increment at D:

(negative)

Velocity increment at A:

(negative)

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 RENDEZVOUS OPPORTUNITY

For rendezvous to occur at the end of a Hohmann transfer,

the location of planet 2 in its orbit at the time the spacecrafts
departure from planet 1 must be such that planet 2 arrives at
the apse line of the transfer ellipse at the same time the
spacecraft does.
Phasing maneuvers are not practical, especially for manned
missions, due to large periods of the heliocentric orbits.
The opportunity occurs only once in every synodic period.

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 RENDEZVOUS OPPORTUNITY
The orbital periods of the two planets:

Planet 2 outside the orbit of Planet 2 inside the orbit of

planet 1 planet 1

T1T2
Synodic Period, Tsyn Tsyn
T1 T2
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RENDEZVOUS OPPORTUNITY

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 RENDEZVOUS OPPORTUNITY
Round trip mission to planet 2

Departure and rendezvous Planet 2 inside the orbit of

with planet 2 planet 1

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 RENDEZVOUS OPPORTUNITY
The time required for the transfer, t12 (one half the period of the
ellipse:
3
R1 R2 2
t12
sun 2

The phase angle between two planets

0 n2t12

The wait time required for the phase angle to reach its proper
value,

(Choose N to make twait >0) 9

 SPHERE OF INFLUENCES (SOI)

Is the spherical region around a celestial body where

the primary gravitational influence on an orbiting
object is that body.
Within the planets Sphere of Influence: (SOI),

2

mp 5
rSOI R

s
m

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SPHERE OF INFLUENCES (SOI)

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SPHERE OF INFLUENCES (SOI)

Decrease of gravitational force with distance from a

planets surface.
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 SPHERE OF INFLUENCES (SOI)

Within a sphere of influence, the planets gravity

dominates the suns

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 METHOD OF PATCHED CONICS

This method is employed to divide the mission into three

parts:
The hyperbolic departure trajectory relative to the home
planet
The cruise ellipse relative to the sun.
The hyperbolic arrival relative to the target planet.

It is justified by calculating the radius of a planets sphere of

influence and showing how small it is on the scale of the
solar system
Matching the velocity of the spacecraft at the home planets
sphere of influence to that required to initiate the outbound
cruise phase and then specifying the periapsis radius of the
departure hyperbola determines the delta-v required at
departure.
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METHOD OF PATCHED CONICS
II. Conic section (ellipse) with
focus at the sun

III. Conic section

(hyperbola) with focus I.Conic section
at planet 2 (hyperbola) with focus
at planet 1

A mission from planet 1 to planet 2 can be viewed as three conic

sections patched together at the planets spheres of influence.
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 PLANETARY DEPARTURE

In order to escape the gravitational pull of a planet,

the spacecraft must travel a hyperbolic trajectory
relative to the planet, arriving at its sphere of
influence with a relative velocity, v (>0).

On a parabolic trajectory, the spacecraft will arrive at

the sphere of influence with a relative speed of zero.
Thus, the spacecraft remains in the same orbit as the
planet and does not embark upon a heliocentric path.

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 PLANETARY DEPARTURE

Departure of a s/c mission from an inner planet to an

outer planet Hyperbolic excess speed (relative to the planet):

R1: radius of starting planets orbit

R2: radius of target planets orbit

Delta-v required at point P

of the circular parking
orbit:

Location of periapses:

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 PLANETARY DEPARTURE

Departure of a s/c mission from an outer planet to an

inner planet

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PLANETARY RENDEZVOUS

A spacecraft arrives at the sphere of influence of the

target planet with a hyperbolic excess velocity relative
to the planet.

After crossing the sphere of influence

If the goal is to impact the planet, the aiming
radius of the approach hyperbola must be such
that hyperbolas periapse rp equals with the radius
of the planet.
If the intent is to go into orbit around the planet,
then must be chosen so that the delta-v burn at
periapse will occur at the correct altitude above
the planet.

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 PLANETARY RENDEZVOUS

If there is no impact with the planet and no drop into

a capture orbit around the planet, then the spacecraft
will simply continue past periapse on a flyby
trajectory, exiting the sphere of influence with the
same relative speed it entered, but with the velocity
vector rotated through the turn angle .

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 PLANETARY RENDEZVOUS

Spacecraft approach trajectory for a Hohmann transfer to an outer

planet from an inner one. P is the periapse of the approach
hyperbola.

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 PLANETARY RENDEZVOUS

Spacecraft approach trajectory for a Hohmann transfer to an inner

planet from an outer one. P is the periapse of the approach hyperbola.

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 PLANETARY RENDEZVOUS

The minimum delta-v required,

1 e
v v
2
The aiming radius required for minimum delta-v,

2
rp
1 e

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PLANETARY FLYBY

A spacecraft which enters a planets sphere of

influence and does not impact the planet or go into
orbit around it will continue in its hyperbolic trajectory
through periapse P and exit the sphere of influence.
Also known as Gravity assist maneuvers
Used to add momentum to a spacecraft over and
above that available from a spacecrafts on-board
propulsion system.
A sequence of flybys of planets can impart the delta-
v needed to reach regions of the solar system that
would be inaccessible using only existing propulsion
technology.

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 PLANETARY FLYBY

Leading-side planetary flyby.

Change in the spacecrafts
heliocentric velocity:

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 PLANETARY FLYBY

Trailing-side planetary flyby. Change in the spacecrafts

heliocentric velocity:

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 PLANETARY FLYBY

Cassini seven years mission to Saturn

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 PLANETARY EPHEMERIS
Fixing the orbit due to the orbits perturbation.
To accurately locate the two planets, we must
1) Arbitrarily fix the reference system
2) Determine the size, shape and location of planetary orbits in
the period of interest
3) Hold these parameters fixed and determine the latitude and
longitude of Earth on launch day and of the target planet on
arrival day

2 methods used
1) To pick a date, locate the ecliptic plane and the venal equinox
vector, and assume that the axes are fixed for a period of time
(usually 50 years)
2) To measure from the instantaneous annually from US Gov
Printing Office astronomical almanac

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 PLANETARY EPHEMERIS
In order to design realistic interplanetary missions, the state
vector of a planet must be able to be determined at any given
time

Planetary orbit in the

heliocentric ecliptic
frame.
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LUNAR TRAJECTORY

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