Satellites and space probes must be launched from Earth toward targets like other planets along precisely preplanned flight paths. These calculated flight paths must consider the amount of time and fuel needed to travel from launch to destination. This article studies the properties of orbital paths for these kinds of spacecraft and offers insights into how to calculate interplanetary orbital paths, trying to better balance flight time with needed fuel requirements.
Copyright @2005-2015, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China Tel:010-64888708 E-mail: ccz@bao.ac.cn