Hohmann transfer orbit

Hohmann transfer orbit, labelled 2, from an orbit (1) to a higher orbit (3) An example of a Hohmann transfer orbit between Earth and Mars, as used by the NASA InSight probe:    InSight ·   Earth ·   Mars

In astronautics, the Hohmann transfer orbit (/ˈhoʊmən/) is an orbital maneuver used to transfer a spacecraft between two orbits of different altitudes around a central body. For example, a Hohmann transfer could be used to raise a satellite's orbit from low Earth orbit to geostationary orbit. In the idealized case, the initial and target orbits are both circular and coplanar. The maneuver is accomplished by placing the craft into an elliptical transfer orbit that is tangential to both the initial and target orbits. The maneuver uses two impulsive engine burns: the first establishes the transfer orbit, and the second adjusts the orbit to match the target.