// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Parking Orbit
A temporary, stable orbit where a spacecraft waits after launch before performing a maneuver to reach its final destination.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A Parking Orbit is a temporary, stable Earth-centric orbit where a spacecraft is placed after launch, allowing for system checks, waiting for optimal launch windows, or phasing for subsequent propulsive maneuvers to a higher or interplanetary trajectory.
BACKGROUND
The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station in low Earth orbit (LEO). It is the product of the International Space Station program and is operated by five partner space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), and CSA (Canada). It is the first space station built, maintained and crewed through international cooperation and the largest human spacecraft ever constructed. It is an orbital research station, where scientific experiments in microgravity are conducted and the space environment is studied. Since 2 November 2000, it has hosted the longest continuous presence of humans in space. Alongside Tiangong, it is one of the only two currently operational space stations.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Staging orbit
- temporary orbit
- low Earth parking orbit
USAGE NOTE
Commonly used for interplanetary missions or for satellites destined for higher orbits like GEO.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Parking Orbit.
As a leading launch service provider, SpaceX frequently utilizes parking orbits for its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets to achieve precise deployment of satellites to various orbits, including geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and low Earth orbit (LEO), and for interplanetary trajectories.
ULA, a major American launch provider, routinely incorporates parking orbit phases into its Atlas V, Delta IV Heavy, and upcoming Vulcan Centaur missions to optimize performance and achieve accurate orbital insertion for a wide range of payloads.
The European launch service provider employs parking orbits in its Ariane and Vega rocket missions to allow for optimal trajectory planning and deployment of satellites into their final operational orbits.
Specializing in small satellite launches, Rocket Lab's Electron rocket often uses parking orbits to precisely deploy multiple payloads to different orbital planes or altitudes on a single mission.
As a developer of launch vehicles (e.g., Antares) and various spacecraft, Northrop Grumman designs and supports missions that inherently rely on the strategic use of parking orbits for spacecraft deployment and orbital maneuvers.
A major satellite manufacturer and space systems provider, Airbus's products are designed for deployment via launch vehicles that utilize parking orbits as a standard phase of their mission profiles.
Developing the New Glenn orbital launch vehicle, Blue Origin's future space missions will involve complex orbital mechanics, including the use of parking orbits for staging and precise payload delivery.
As a prime contractor for numerous satellites and space missions, Lockheed Martin's aerospace technology and mission planning incorporate the principles and execution of parking orbits for successful spacecraft deployment and operations.