Orbit phasing

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

In astrodynamics orbit phasing is the adjustment of the time-position of spacecraft along its orbit, usually described as adjusting the orbiting spacecraft's true anomaly.

The most basic type of phasing maneuver is simply a two-impulse Hohmann transfer which takes the spacecraft away from, and then back to, its original orbit, with the period of the transfer orbit chosen such that the time in which the spacecraft returns to its original orbit can be specified.

Orbit phasing is required for a successful approach to a space station in a docking maneuver. Here, two spacecraft on the same orbit but at different true anomalies rendezvous by either one or both of the satellites entering phasing trajectories which cause them to return to their original orbit at the same true anomaly at the same time.

Phasing maneuvers are also commonly employed by geosynchronous satellites, either to conduct station-keeping maneuvers to maintain their orbit above a specific latitude, or to change latitude altogether.

References [edit]

Articles related to orbits

Orbits

General	Box Capture Circular Elliptical / Highly elliptical Escape Graveyard Hyperbolic trajectory Inclined / Non-inclined Osculating Parabolic trajectory Parking Synchronous semi sub

Geocentric	Geosynchronous Geostationary Sun-synchronous Low Earth Medium Earth High Earth Molniya Near-equatorial Orbit of the Moon Polar Tundra Two-line elements

About other points	Areosynchronous Areostationary Halo Lissajous Lunar Heliocentric Heliosynchronous

Parameters

Shape/Size	$e\,\!$ Eccentricity $a\,\!$ Semi-major axis $b\,\!$ Semi-minor axis $Q,q\,\!$ Apsides

Orientation	$i\,\!$ Inclination $\Omega\,\!$ Longitude of the ascending node $\omega\,\!$ Argument of periapsis $\varpi\,\!$ Longitude of the periapsis

Position	$M\,\!$ Mean anomaly $\nu\,\!$ True anomaly $E\,\!$ Eccentric anomaly $L\,\!$ Mean longitude $l\,\!$ True longitude

Variation	$T\,\!$ Orbital period $n\,\!$ Mean motion $v\,\!$ Orbital speed $t_0\,\!$ Epoch

Maneuvers

Collision avoidance (spacecraft) Delta-v Delta-v budget Bi-elliptic transfer Geostationary transfer Gravity assist Gravity turn Hohmann transfer Low energy transfer Oberth effect Inclination change Phasing Rocket equation Rendezvous Transposition, docking, and extraction

Other orbital mechanics topics

Celestial coordinate system Characteristic energy Ephemeris Equatorial coordinate system Ground track Hill sphere Interplanetary Transport Network Kepler's laws of planetary motion Lagrangian point n-body problem Orbit equation Orbital state vectors Perturbation Retrograde motion Specific orbital energy Specific relative angular momentum

List of orbits

This astronomy-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

See also [edit]

References [edit]