// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Hohmann Transfer
A Hohmann transfer is an efficient way to move a spacecraft between two circular orbits around the same central body by using two engine burns to create an elliptical path.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A Hohmann transfer orbit is a bi-elliptical orbital maneuver used to transfer a spacecraft between two coplanar circular orbits around a central body, requiring two impulsive burns at the periapsis and apoapsis of the transfer ellipse for optimal fuel efficiency.
BACKGROUND
The idea of sending humans to Mars has been the subject of aerospace engineering and scientific studies since the late 1940s as part of the broader exploration of Mars. Long-term proposals have included sending settlers and terraforming the planet. Currently, only robotic landers, rovers and a helicopter have been on Mars. As of 2026, the farthest humans have been beyond Earth is the Moon and its vicinity, with the lunar flights of the Apollo program from 1968 to 1972 and the Artemis II lunar flyby in 2026, both of which were operated by NASA.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Hohmann transfer ellipse
- Hohmann trajectory
USAGE NOTE
The Hohmann transfer is a fundamental maneuver for moving satellites from LEO to GEO.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Hohmann Transfer.
JPL designs and navigates interplanetary missions for NASA. Their trajectory specialists, or 'navigators', are experts in orbital mechanics, routinely planning complex orbital maneuvers based on principles like the Hohmann transfer to send spacecraft to other planets with maximum fuel efficiency.
As a leading launch provider, SpaceX frequently places satellites into a transfer orbit. The satellite's own propulsion system then performs a circularization burn to reach its final operational orbit. SpaceX's Falcon upper stages and Dragon spacecraft also perform numerous orbital maneuvers for payload deployment and ISS docking.
Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft is an in-space satellite bus that acts as an orbital transfer vehicle. After separating from the launch vehicle, Photon uses its own engine to perform precise maneuvers, like a Hohmann transfer, to deliver customer satellites to their exact desired final orbits.
ULA's Atlas V and Vulcan rockets, particularly with the Centaur upper stage, are renowned for their precision in orbital insertions. They are frequently used for missions requiring complex trajectories and direct injection into geosynchronous or interplanetary transfer orbits, which are applications of Hohmann transfer principles.
Momentus develops orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) or 'space tugs'. Their core business is moving satellites between different orbits after they are deployed by a primary launch vehicle. This service relies entirely on performing efficient, planned orbital transfers like the Hohmann transfer.
An in-space logistics and transportation company. Their ION Satellite Carrier is a cargo vehicle that, once in orbit, can deploy multiple satellites into different orbital slots over time, requiring it to perform a series of precise orbital transfers to reach each client's destination.
Maxar builds large, sophisticated communications and Earth observation satellites. These satellites are often launched into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and use their own onboard propulsion systems (both chemical and electric) to execute a series of burns to raise and circularize their orbit to the final geostationary position 36,000 km above Earth.
Ansys develops the Systems Tool Kit (STK), a leading physics-based software platform for aerospace and defense. Mission planners at virtually every major space organization use STK to model, simulate, and optimize trajectories, including designing and analyzing Hohmann transfers for orbit-raising and interplanetary travel.