Mechanics of particles and systems Orbital mechanics Concept
Patched conic approximation
Summary
The patched conic approximation models a spacecraft trajectory as a chain of Kepler orbits, each about a single body. Near a planet only the planet's gravity counts, and far from all planets only the Sun's gravity counts. The pieces are joined at the boundaries of the planets' spheres of influence. It gives quick and fairly accurate first designs of interplanetary missions. See the definition.
Where this leads
1 page builds on this one.
Further reading
About this page
| Tag | BV6ACVR5TV |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://BV6ACVR5TV |
| Kind | concept |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 70M20, 70F15 |
| Same as | |
| Changed | 3 November 2026 |
Markdown · JSON · Edit on GitHub
What this page needs for W1
- an inventory row: the row of the inventory that the node accounts for (0 of 1)
- a source with a locator (0 of 1)
The writing levels say how complete the text of a page is. They do not measure its truth.