Orbital maneuver

An orbital maneuver is a deliberate change to a spacecraft’s trajectory using propulsion or other forces. It changes the orbit’s size, shape, orientation, or the spacecraft’s position along it.

Impulse (physics): Impulse is the change in an object's momentum produced by a force acting over time. A propulsion burn delivers impulse, changing spacecraft velocity and therefore its orbit.
Keplerian orbit: A Keplerian orbit is an ideal trajectory governed by gravity from a single point mass. It provides the baseline orbit that a maneuver changes.
Orbit raising: Orbit raising is the process of increasing a spacecraft's orbital altitude or energy. Launch vehicles and spacecraft use it to reach operational orbits.
Plane change maneuver: A plane change maneuver alters the inclination or orientation of a spacecraft's orbital plane. Unlike a simple altitude change, it redirects the orbit's angular momentum.
Rocket equation: The rocket equation describes how a vehicle's achievable velocity change depends on exhaust velocity and propellant mass fraction. Its exponential mass relationship makes large maneuver budgets costly.
Tsiolkovsky rocket equation: The rocket equation relates a rocket's velocity change to exhaust velocity and the ratio of initial to final mass. It estimates the propellant required to produce a maneuver's velocity change.
Orbital elements: Orbital elements are parameters that specify an orbit's size, shape, orientation, and position. They describe which parts of a trajectory a maneuver changes.
Station-keeping: Station-keeping consists of maneuvers that counter disturbances and keep a spacecraft within its assigned orbital region. Small corrections prevent perturbations from moving a spacecraft away from its intended orbit.
Gravity assist: A gravity assist changes a spacecraft's heliocentric trajectory through a close encounter with a moving celestial body. It changes trajectory without a propulsive burn, using the body's gravity and motion.
Orbital debris: Orbital debris is human-made material in orbit that no longer serves a useful function. Avoidance maneuvers consume resources, while untracked debris complicates safe flight.

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