Heliocentric orbit
A heliocentric orbit (also called circumsolar orbit) is an
The barycenter of the Solar System, while always very near the Sun, moves through space as time passes, depending on where other large bodies in the Solar System, such as
The helio- prefix is derived from the Greek word "ἥλιος", meaning "Sun", and also Helios, the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology.[1]
The first spacecraft to be put in a heliocentric orbit was Luna 1 in 1959. An incorrectly timed upper-stage burn caused it to miss its planned impact on the Moon.[2]
Trans-Mars injection
A = Hohmann transfer orbit. B = Conjunction mission. C = Opposition mission
A trans-Mars injection (TMI) is a heliocentric orbit in which a
Every two years, low-energy transfer windows open up, which allow movement between planets with the lowest possible energy requirements. Transfer injections can place spacecraft into either a Hohmann transfer orbit or bi-elliptic transfer orbit. Trans-Mars injections can be either a single maneuver burn, such as that used by the NASA MAVEN orbiter in 2013, or a series of perigee kicks, such as that used by the ISRO Mars Orbiter Mission in 2013.[3][4]
See also
- Astrodynamics
- Earth's orbit
- Geocentric orbit
- Heliocentrism
- List of artificial objects in heliocentric orbit
- List of orbits
- Low-energy transfer
References
- ^ "helio-". Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House. 2006. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
- ^ ISRO successfully sends Mars orbiter into sun-centric orbit.
- ^ Orbiter successfully placed in Mars Transfer Trajectory.
