Orbital energy

Orbital energy is the sum of an orbiting object's kinetic and gravitational potential energy, divided by its mass. In an ideal gravitational orbit, this specific mechanical energy remains constant.

Specific mechanical energy: Mechanical energy per unit mass, combining kinetic and potential energy. Orbital energy is the specific mechanical energy conserved in an ideal gravitational field.
Kinetic energy: The energy an object has because of its motion. Orbital energy includes the object's kinetic energy divided by its mass.
Hohmann transfer orbit: A two-impulse transfer between coplanar circular orbits using an elliptical path. Its required burns follow from the difference between the initial and final orbital energies.
Binding energy: The energy required to separate a bound system into its components at infinite separation. For a bound orbit, its binding energy per mass is the magnitude of the negative orbital energy.
Gravitational potential energy: Potential energy associated with the gravitational interaction between masses. Its negative contribution offsets orbital kinetic energy in bound orbits.
Gravitational potential: Gravitational potential energy per unit mass at a location in a gravitational field. Its value supplies the potential-energy term in the specific orbital-energy equation.
Delta-v: The change in velocity required to perform a maneuver or achieve a trajectory. An impulsive velocity change alters kinetic energy and therefore orbital energy.
Total energy: The sum of all energy forms assigned to a physical system. Orbital energy is a specific mechanical energy, not necessarily a system's full energy budget.
Vis-viva equation: An equation relating orbital speed, distance from the focus, and semimajor axis. It expresses how conserved orbital energy constrains speed at each orbital distance.
Specific angular momentum: Angular momentum per unit mass, describing motion around a chosen origin. Together with orbital energy, it determines the orbit’s conic shape and orientation.

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