Questions tagged [delta-v]

Literal meaning is "change in velocity". The quantity has utility in rocketry as measure of the change in velocity that a reaction engine must produce to move into a given trajectory. The rocket equation establishes that the mass ratio of payload to initial mass is an exponential function of delta-v divided by the propellant velocity.

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Delta V required to land and then ascend from the surface of every celestial body

I've been doing some research to figure out how feasible grand tour manned missions to the surface of the moons of each outer planet. This is related: Where can I find a delta v map of landing ...
Anti Elon Guy's user avatar
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When you burn retrograde, will you reach periapsis sooner or later?

Say you have two spacecraft in identical orbits. Say at a point after apoapsis and before periapsis one of the spacecraft burns retrograde to lower its periapsis, and the other spacecraft does nothing ...
DTCantReachSpace's user avatar
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Would reaching an elliptical orbit with the same mean altitude as that of a circular orbit require the same amount of fuel?

Would a rocket that wanted to reach an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 100 miles (160 km) and an apogee of 300 miles (480 km) burn the same amount of fuel as a rocket that wanted to attain a ...
Johannes's user avatar
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Going over the Apollo fuel numbers and I have many questions

I was reading through Apollo by the numbers and I noticed the LM descent to the moons surface consumed 17,414kg of fuel out of a total of 18,184kg leaving only 770kg of fuel. But then in the very next ...
Brain's user avatar
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What is the Delta V from the Moon to Earth Sun L1?

There are various proposals to build infrastructure at Earth/Sun L1 point, such as discussed in this question. From LEO the Delta V cost to L1 is about 3.5 kms or about kg of propellant in LEO for ...
GremlinWranger's user avatar
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How do "halo orbits" save on propellent (delta-v)?

I am trying to understand what advantage the satellite's 'Halo Orbit' has compared to LEO or Geostationary orbits. "Lagrange points have proven to be very useful indeed since a spacecraft can be ...
TheMatrix Equation-balance's user avatar
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What is the relationship between the radius of the Hill sphere and escape velocity?

I'm currently working on a video game that will make use of a heavily simplified patched-conic model of the Solar System. I was wondering about some discrepancies between my own calculations as well ...
Vlad's user avatar
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At what point did Artemis 1's Orion execute the orbital inclination change for its return transit?

Orion is returning to Earth with a marked orbital inclination compared to its Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO). Orbital inclination changes require a great deal of delta-v, and Orion is on a tight ...
Woody's user avatar
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Why is the Orion capsule using 2 burns to transfer from the moon back to earth instead of one?

I was reading an article about how the Orion capsule just did the first of two burns that it will use to transfer out of its lunar orbit and back to Earth. I understand the phenomenon of a gravity ...
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Which programs are used to calculate delta V and launch dates to get to other objects?

I have noticed that many people here have used different programs to calculate the launch dates and delta V to get to other planets. For example: https://space.stackexchange.com/a/59585/44505 https://...
The Rocket fan's user avatar
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How much delta V did the V2 have?

The V2 rocket was the first to cross the Karman line. To pass it you need at least 1.4 km\s. How much delta V did the V2 rocket have?
The Rocket fan's user avatar
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What is the difference between a Trans-Mars Injection and a Mars Transfer Orbit?

So I'm using this transfer orbit calculator and when simulating a transfer from LEO to Mars, in the delta-v breakdown, appear two different values: TMI (Trans-Mars Injection), at around 3000 m/s, and ...
Daniel Salzberg's user avatar
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How could 99942 Apophis, in 2029, be captured and brought into a low Earth orbit?

I'm currently attempting to plan out a mission where, in 2029, during Apophis's close approach to Earth, a rocket is sent up to intercept Apophis and decelerate it, making it orbit the Earth. At it's ...
An Axolotl's user avatar
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What Delta-V can I gain from very low thrust exit from EML-5 by gravity assist from Earth to Mars?

My vehicle can exit Earth - Moon L-5 point by very low thrust and enter Earth fly-by to Mars. I am not concerned about the time for this maneuver, but say at least 80 days. What Delta-V can be gained ...
Bernard Walker's user avatar
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Could an astronaut with a jump and a "jet pack" "jump" off of the Moon?

The initial naïve question was: "Could an astronaut with a jump and a "jet pack" "jump" off of the Moon?" :) For fun, let's assume the optimal circumstances: Gemini era ...
Martin Eckleben's user avatar
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What does `ln` mean in the Delta V equation?

I am working on a project for school and can't figure out what ln means in the Delta-V equation, as in Δv = VE * ln(ML / ME). I know that Δv is Delta V, VE is ...
Curious 8th grader's user avatar
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Delta-v to hit the moon: is reaching Lunar L1 enough?

Lot of questions involve shooting things into the Sun. But there are no aliens on the Sun: they are on the Moon. I want to drop things on them, but since there's lot of them, I can just drop a ...
Inductiveload's user avatar
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Are there uses for these 'quasi iso-propic' supersynchronous transfer orbits?

In my answer to What are the benefits of supersynchronous transfer orbits? I stumbled upon an interesting outcome when considering the total $\Delta V$ cost from an inclined low altitude parking orbit ...
BrendanLuke15's user avatar
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When is the supersynchronous orbit more efficient than a typical Hohmann transfer where inclination change and circularization are simultaneous?

The title essentially explains it all. Some GEO launch vehicles like Proton, which launches from Baikonur at a latitude of 46 degrees, launch into a supersynchronous orbit. So at what point is the ...
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What are the benefits of supersynchronous transfer orbits?

Some satellites are injected into higher apogee than standard GTO apogee of 35 786 km. Next the satellite then has to increase its perigee ( usually 250 km ) to GEO altitude. Then the apogee has to be ...
Ashvin's user avatar
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What is the delta v required for insertion to sun-earth L2?

What is the delta v required to place a satellite in L2 from earth transfer orbit ( Like the James Webb Telescope )? Does orbits closer to L2 different delta v from orbits far from L2?
Ashvin's user avatar
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What is the largest single burn plane change maneuver executed in LEO?

Below 2000 km in low Earth orbit (or close to it), what is the largest propulsive plane change from a single burn? Expecting an answer in degrees, a named mission and vehicle executing the burn itself....
uhoh's user avatar
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How is delta-v calculated for an interstellar journey?

Just recently I have been learning about orbital mechanics and I came across the following article: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/life-unbounded/why-chemical-rockets-and-interstellar-travel-...
Ryan's user avatar
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What is the equation that relates delta v of a rocket to time taken to complete an orbit?

I wanted to see how the delta-v produced by a rocket affects the time it takes to complete a certain orbit. So what is the equation that relates these two quantities?
Ryan's user avatar
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How much delta-v could be saved with a Hohmann-like transfer orbit to the aphelion of Mercury 's orbit instead of its perihelion?

I wrote "Hohmann-like" of course because Mercury's orbit is rather eccentric and has an inclination of 7 ⁰. From this factsheet I've learned that perihelion is at 46 million km and aphelion ...
Cornelis's user avatar
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How to convert bi-propellant fuel into Delta-v (for ex., for JWST)

The following news gave the details on the quantity of fuel embarked on JWST: NASA gives green light to fuel the James Webb Telescope. The Webb telescope’s spacecraft bus, built by Northrop Grumman, ...
Ng Ph's user avatar
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Extended mission options for Juno?

Juno has been given several mission extensions, the last (and most exciting) of which involves close passes to three of the Galilean satellites, also allowing them to trim its orbit every time, and ...
we'll see's user avatar
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Pure orbit inclination changing, why delta v differs between vector and numerical approach?

as said in the title I have different results between numerical en vector approach during inclination changing maneuver. The initial orbit : Perigee radius : 6700 km Eccentricity : 0.7 Inclination : ...
sl20's user avatar
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Does other orbital parameters change on plane alignment impulsive maneuver?

I work on small application to apply impulsive maneuver on an orbit. I want to align two orbits in the same plane. After the execution of the function, original orbit has the same inclination and ...
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Understanding g₀ to calculate delta-v

I am trying to calculate the exact delta-v from various existing upper stages with a given payload in a vaccum and in orbit, say LEO. I understand that according to the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation: $$\...
Joe's user avatar
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What's wrong with my bielliptic transfer calculation?

I'm trying to calculate the delta-v needed to get from a 200 km circular orbit to a geostationary orbit. GSO is at an altitude of 42164140.1029448 m and at a speed of 3074.6611762 m/s. Because $\frac{...
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Orbital Mechanics and Launching into the Sun

Astronomy.com's Here's why we can't just rocket nuclear waste into the sun is an excellent explanation of the delta-V required to launch from Earth orbit into the Sun (30 km/s) vs. to escape from the ...
Dave's user avatar
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What's the point of characteristic energy?

My understanding of orbital mechanics is that delta-v is the most useful notion of ability to change orbits in space, akin to energy being the most useful notion of the ability to do work. But if ...
TheEnvironmentalist's user avatar
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Penalty for Neutron dog-legging from Wallops to synchronous?

From the April 15, 2021 Everyday Astronaut video A chat with Rocket Lab's CEO Peter Beck about Neutron, Electron recovery and Rocket Lab's future! linked below (mostly from closed captions, small ...
uhoh's user avatar
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What would it take to bring VSS Unity over the Kármán line?

There's been a great deal debate about Virgin Galactic calling 50 miles "space", while most use a 100 km Kármán line definition for the term. VSS Unity has exceeded 89 km altitude on two ...
Adám's user avatar
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Has there ever been a completely solid fuelled orbital rocket? [duplicate]

Engines and fuel management are very expensive to develop, and for smaller launch providers and space agencies this could prevent them from entering the market. My question is, would the cost savings ...
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Calculating the delta V budget from Earth to Mercury

Context While verifying a basic computation to compute the required delta V budget to get to Mercury I am experiencing some difficulties in interpreting the number 8650 m/s from Earth intercept to ...
a.t.'s user avatar
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Specific impulse and delta-v in Tsiolkovsky's rocket equation

According to Tsiolkovsky's rocket equation, it is possible to calculate the delta-v of a multistage rocket if you know the characteristics of each stage of the rocket. In my case, the only ...
Miguel's user avatar
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How much delta-v does it take to go from one arbitrary orbit to another?

This is, in theory, very basic rocket science. I can't seem to find a solution on here though, so I'm asking in the hopes you'll enlighten me and my amateurish ways. I've got a set of Keplerian ...
TheEnvironmentalist's user avatar
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What are the limitations to using this "trick" to quantitatively relate altitude changes (via their speed) with applied forces that cause them?

In this comment I used a "trick" to double check a calculation in the post above it. Using the vis-viva equation I first determined that if the ISS lost 10 meters of altitude in 86400 ...
uhoh's user avatar
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Earth-Sun decayed L1 to L4 transfer

Assume CR3BP (Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem) where a satellite occupies the Earth-Sun L1 point. The satellite dies, stops station-keeping, experiences a small perturbation (minimal effect on ...
Curtis Klein's user avatar
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Computing a new TLE following a delta-v impulse?

Is there some code or a library out there that can take orbital elements, add a known delta-v component and then compute a new TLE? I found this one https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a289281....
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Largest single burn spacecraft delta-v in deep space?

This 700 m/s maneuver that was avoided got me thinking and then CNN's NASA mission will zoom by asteroid before returning sample to Earth said: "Leaving Bennu's vicinity in May puts us in the '...
uhoh's user avatar
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Minimum delta V required to return a piece of metallic asteroid 16 Psyche to Earth?

Suppose somebody sent a rover to Psyche 16 and found massive concentrated deposits of platinum-group metals near the surface, and turned it into a 10 ton sphere of platinum/iridium/osmium/gold alloy ...
Jonathan Ray's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
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Why does it cost more to get to L4/5 than C3=0?

I was looking at Delta-V budgets and noticed that it costs 4.1 km/s to get from LEO to L4/5, but just 3.2 km/s for LEO to geocentric C3 = 0 (escape velocity). I find that counter-intuitive. Why does ...
Schwern's user avatar
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Is Delta V depending on the Launch Vehicle mass and the Payload Mass?

I have read in many references that Delta V is fixed or constant for example ( Delta V to LEO = 10km/s). They did not mention the payload mass or the Propellant mass, and also they did not mention ...
Ahmed Elghreeb's user avatar
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Does a fully fuelled Starship in LEO have 0kg payload to Jupiter?

So I was looking into the payload mass a fully fuelled Centaur V could send to Jupiter and used the formula in presented in this answer to create a C3 graph. For a bit of fun I also looked into the ...
Barry Jenakuns's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
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Do rockets headed to ISS get delta V benefit from Earth's rotation

A rocket on the launchpad moves Eastward with the rest of the earth as it rotates about its polar axis. This means that on launch, the rocket already has a sizable eastward velocity component: ~460 m/...
user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
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Station-keeping delta-v per year for an Earth-Moon vanilla halo orbit?

This answer reminds us that an Earth-Moon L1 or L2 vanilla1 halo orbit remaining always visible to some patch on the Moon's surface requires station-keeping. Queqiao uses such an orbit having ...
uhoh's user avatar
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General Delta V Calculation for Two-Body-Problem

Problem: Given two orbits (e.g. in the 5 keplerian elements excluding true anomaly) A and B calculate the $\Delta v$ necessary to perform a transfer from A to B using instantaneous burns. Simple ...
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