Orbitalimpuls

Orbitalimpuls is a term used in orbital mechanics to denote the imparting of a short, high-intensity impulse to a spacecraft with the goal of changing its velocity vector and, consequently, its trajectory. The concept emphasizes impulsive burns, as opposed to continuous thrust, and is applicable across a range of propulsion systems, from chemical to electric to hypothetical field-based devices.

An orbital impulse is quantified by the delta-v delivered, which is the change in velocity in the inertial frame. The orientation of the burn relative to the velocity vector determines whether the impulse raises or lowers apogee, alters perigee, changes inclination, or performs a plane change. In practice, mission designers use patched-conic approximations or more complete numerical integrating methods to plan a sequence of impulsive burns, such as transfers, rendezvous, or deorbit burns.

Common applications include deorbiting, orbit-raising, phasing orbits for rendezvous, and inclination changes. In many cases, impulsive maneuvers minimize propellant mass for short-duration corrections, because the burn is delivered in a concentrated impulse rather than a prolonged thrust. For some missions, a combination of small impulses distributed over time can approximate a continuous thrust, offering design flexibility.

Orbital impulses impose peak mechanical loads on spacecraft structures and propulsion systems. Accuracy of the burn and accounting for orbital perturbations are critical, since small errors can lead to large trajectory deviations. The approach assumes instantaneous velocity change, an approximation that holds best for relatively short burns compared with the orbital period.