Mechanics of particles and systems Definition
Orbital mechanics
Builds on Celestial mechanicsNewton's law of universal gravitationNewton's laws of motionKepler's laws of planetary motion
Definition
Orbital mechanics, also called astrodynamics, is the part of celestial mechanics about artificial satellites, spacecraft and rockets. It applies Newton's laws of motion and Newton's law of gravitation to their motion. Its objects are trajectories under the gravity of one or more bodies, together with the changes of velocity produced by thrust.
Remarks
The first approximation treats each phase of a flight as a two-body problem, whose orbits obey Kepler's laws. Typical tasks are the transfer between two orbits with the least change of velocity, the determination of an orbit from observations, and the rendezvous of two spacecraft. The cost of a manoeuvre is measured by its total change of velocity, written . The study of planets and moons for their own sake belongs to celestial mechanics rather than to orbital mechanics.
Reading path
To understand this page from the ground up, read these 67 pages in order. The foundations come first.
- Conic section concept
- Cross product concept
- Derivative concept
- Differential equation concept
- Ellipse concept
- Euclidean space object
- Euclidean vector concept
- First integral concept
- Focus of a conic concept
- Function concept
- Hamiltonian system concept
- Interval concept
- Ordinary differential equation concept
- Velocity concept
- Kepler problem example
- Fréchet derivative definition
- Total derivative concept
- Cross product definition
- Ordinary differential equation definition
- Function of several variables concept
- Vector-valued function concept
- Classical mechanics concept
- Lipschitz condition definition
- n-body problem problem
- Momentum concept
- Differentiable function of several variables concept
- Limit of a function of several variables concept
- Double integral concept
- Partial derivative concept
- Vector field concept
- Inertial frame of reference concept
- Solution of an ordinary differential equation definition
- Angular momentum concept
- Gradient concept
- Continuity in R^n definition
- Differentiable function of several variables definition
- Partial derivative definition
- Triple integral concept
- Newton's laws of motion statement
- Initial value problem definition
- Scalar potential concept
- Differentiable on an open set definition
- Gradient definition
- Higher partial derivatives definition
- Centre of mass concept
- Picard–Lindelöf hypotheses definition
- Conservative vector field concept
- Iterated derivative definition
- Reduced mass concept
- Picard operator definition
- Central force concept
- C^k function characterised by continuous derivatives statement
- An iterate of the Picard operator is a contraction statement
- Integral equation form of an initial value problem statement
- Vector field definition
- Picard–Lindelöf theorem statement
- Conservative vector field definition
- Classical mechanics definition
- Momentum definition
- Potential energy definition
- Angular momentum definition
- Central force definition
- Newton's law of universal gravitation statement
- Two-body problem problem
- Celestial mechanics concept
- Kepler's laws of planetary motion statement
- Orbital mechanics definition
Further reading
About this page
| Tag | D4VE2QAHNJ |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://D4VE2QAHNJ |
| Kind | definition |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 70M20, 70F15 |
| Defines | Orbital mechanics |
| Uses | Celestial mechanics, Newton's law of universal gravitation, Newton's laws of motion, Kepler's laws of planetary motion |
| Changed | 3 November 2026 |
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