Transfer Ellipse
In aerospace engineering, a Transfer Ellipse refers to the orbital path used to transfer a spacecraft or satellite from one circular orbit to another in space. This is a fundamental concept in orbital mechanics, the study of the motions of artificial satellites and space vehicles moving under the influence of forces such as gravity, thrust, and aerodynamic drag. The transfer ellipse is typically used in Hohmann transfer orbits, which are elliptical orbits used to transfer between two circular orbits of different radii in the same plane. The transfer ellipse is initiated by an impulsive velocity change which moves a spacecraft from its initial circular orbit onto the transfer ellipse. After moving along the transfer ellipse, another impulsive change in velocity is performed at the apogee (the farthest point from the center of the gravitational source) to move the spacecraft onto the final circular orbit. The transfer ellipse is an efficient way to move a spacecraft from one orbit to another, minimizing the use of propellant.
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