Preliminary Design Analysis of Interplanetary Trajectories with Hohmann And Bi-Elliptic Manoeuvres

The determination of a fitting orbit transfer technique is one of the paramount tasks in arranging a space travel mission. This paper aims to delve deeper into the two-basic impulse manoeuvres; the Hohmann Transfer, which is one of the most efficient manoeuvres for transferringbetween two circular orbits with different radii, and the Bi-Elliptic transfer, which in certain conditions has proven to yield results which can be more efficient compared to the Hohmann transfer. The authors were able to achieve this by exploring different scenarios in which Hohmann andBi-Elliptic transfer may be used and comparing the obtained results with each other. A range is observed, which can be used as a rule of thumb toselect the most appropriate transfer under the circumstances. An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each transfer is made, which further helps in understanding when, where and how to use them.