multiburn

Multiburn, or multi-burn, is a propulsion strategy in which a spacecraft performs multiple engine burns during a single mission profile rather than a single burn to place the vehicle on its final trajectory. Burns are separated by coast phases and timed to achieve specific orbital parameters such as altitude, inclination, and phasing. The approach requires careful propellant management, attitude control, and navigation to execute each burn reliably.

Implementation involves an engine capable of reignition, a guidance, navigation, and control system, and planning software to optimize burn sequencing. It relies on precise attitude control and sensor data to ensure thrust direction and duration are accurate for each burn, while accounting for propellant margins and thermal loads.

Applications include placing a vehicle into a parking orbit followed by a second burn for transfer to a target orbit, performing orbital phasing or rendezvous maneuvers, and enabling complex interplanetary trajectories that would be inefficient with a single burn. It is commonly used on upper-stage propulsion systems with reliable reignition capability.

Trade-offs include increased mission complexity and risk from multiple firings, potential thermal and structural stress, and tighter propellant management. When designed effectively, multiburn trajectories can offer greater flexibility, higher final orbit accuracy, and reduced propellant consumption compared with single-burn profiles, especially for missions requiring precise orbital insertion or long cruises.