Process / pipelineAstrodynamics

Hohmann Transfer

The Hohmann transfer is a maneuver that transfers a spacecraft between two circular orbits using two impulsive burns (velocity changes). Introduced by German engineer Walter Hohmann in 1925, it is the most fuel-efficient method for coplanar orbital transfers when the transfer time is not severely constrained. The transfer orbit is an ellipse tangent to both the initial and final orbits.

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Sources

  1. Hohmann, W. (1925). Die Erreichbarkeit der Himmelskörper. R. Oldenbourg. link
  2. Curtis, H. D. (2013). Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students (3rd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN: 978-0-08-102133-0
  3. Vallado, D. A., Crawford, P., Hujsak, R., & Kelso, T. S. (2006). Revisiting Spacetrack Report #3: Orbit Determination using Modern Computers. In AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference. DOI: 10.2514/6.2006-6753

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Referenced by

ScholarGateHohmann Transfer (Hohmann Transfer Orbit). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/applied-physics/hohmann-transfer