// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Heliocentric
Heliocentric means "centered on the Sun." In astronomy, it refers to models or orbits that consider the Sun as the central body.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Heliocentric refers to a coordinate system or orbital reference frame centered on the Sun, used to describe the motion of planets, asteroids, comets, and interplanetary spacecraft within the solar system.
BACKGROUND
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, doing business as SpaceX, is an American public spaceflight, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence company headquartered at the Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the company has made numerous advances in rocket propulsion, reusable launch vehicles, human spaceflight and satellite constellation technology. As of 2026, SpaceX conducts more orbital launches annually than any other launch provider, including private competitors and national programs like the Chinese space program. SpaceX, NASA, and the United States Armed Forces work closely together on governmental contracts. The initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX in June 2026 was the largest in history, with a valuation at US$1.77 trillion.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Sun-centered
- solar-centric
USAGE NOTE
Interplanetary trajectories are typically calculated using a heliocentric reference frame.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Heliocentric.
A U.S. government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA designs and operates numerous robotic missions in heliocentric orbits, such as the Parker Solar Probe, James Webb Space Telescope (at L2), and interplanetary probes to Mars, Jupiter, and asteroids.
An intergovernmental organization of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration of space. ESA develops and operates missions in heliocentric orbit, including the Solar Orbiter, Gaia observatory, and the BepiColombo mission to Mercury.
A federally funded research and development center and NASA field center managed by Caltech. JPL is NASA's primary center for robotic exploration of the solar system, managing missions like Voyager, Cassini, and the Mars rovers, all of which operate on heliocentric trajectories.
A not-for-profit university-affiliated research center that builds robotic space probes, instruments, and spacecraft for NASA. APL designed, built, and operates the Parker Solar Probe and the New Horizons mission, both landmark heliocentric spacecraft.
An American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launches payloads into heliocentric orbits, and its Starship system is being developed for crewed interplanetary travel, which is fundamentally based on heliocentric transit.
A joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA's Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur rockets are primary launch vehicles for NASA's scientific missions destined for heliocentric orbits, including the Lucy mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids.
A public American aerospace manufacturer and small satellite launch service provider. The company's Photon spacecraft bus is designed for interplanetary missions and has been used for NASA's CAPSTONE lunar mission, which involved a ballistic trajectory through heliocentric space.
A Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer specializing in space systems. The company is the prime contractor for major heliocentric missions such as ESA's BepiColombo, Euclid, and Solar Orbiter, building the spacecraft that navigate the solar system.