Transfer Questions

[microbe999]

When perusing the forums, I often come upon words like "bi-elliptic transfer", and "ballistic transfer". Could you tell me all the different kinds of orbital transfers, and their pros and cons. (except a Hohmann transfer. I already know what that is.) Please get back to me soon!

[UmbralRaptor]

Bielliptic transfers are slightly fancier (there's an intermediate high semi-major axis step), and will occasionally save ÃŽâ€V for bodies where the ratio of semi-major axes is very large.

[Jason Patterson]

Hohmann and bielliptic are really the only two types that we can realistically try in game. NASA and friends have much more computing power, both of the silicon and grey varieties, so they can handle things like fuzzy orbits that bounce objects around among low energy points between bodies and can potentially save a lot of energy.

A ballistic transfer isn't anything in particular. The two words don't normally go together, but what it would mean is an unpowered transfer. Make a burn and then watch the rocket go until it gets to where it's headed.

[Vector]

From what I've gathered on these forums, it seems 'ballistic transfer' just means there is no mid-course correction. Sometimes people will perform a correction (usually for inclination) half-way along a Hohmann transfer, and I think 'ballistic transfer' means you're not doing that.