Hohmann Transfer Calculator
A Hohmann transfer from a 300 km orbit to geostationary altitude needs 3.89523 km/s in two burns and takes about 5.3 hours.
3.89522719750642 km/s
Full answer, then cut to fewer decimals (not rounded):
- 3.89522719750642 km/s
- 3.8952271975064 km/s
- 3.895227197506 km/s
- 3.89522719750 km/s
- 3.8952271975 km/s
- 3.895227197 km/s
- 3.89522719 km/s
- 3.8952271 km/s
- 3.895227 km/s
- 3.89522 km/s
- 3.8952 km/s
- 3.895 km/s
- 3.89 km/s
- 3.8 km/s
- First burn Δv₁
- 2.427654119 km/s
- Second burn Δv₂
- 1.467573079 km/s
- Transfer time (half an ellipse)
- 5.272746528 h
- Transfer orbit semi-major axis
- 24414 km
- Initial circular speed
- 7.729891847 km/s
- Final circular speed
- 3.074921542 km/s
Step-by-step solution
- r₁ = 6671 km, r₂ = 42157 km around Earth; a = (r₁ + r₂)/2 = 24414 km
- Δv₁ = √(μ/r₁)(√(2r₂/(r₁ + r₂)) − 1) = 2427.654119 m/s
- Δv₂ = √(μ/r₂)(1 − √(2r₁/(r₁ + r₂))) = 1467.573079 m/s; t = π√(a³/μ) = 5.272746528 h
Hohmann Transfer Formula
Δv₁ = √(μ/r₁)(√(2r₂/(r₁ + r₂)) − 1)
Δv₂ = √(μ/r₂)(1 − √(2r₁/(r₁ + r₂))); t = π√(a³/μ), a = (r₁ + r₂)/2
Worked Example
From a 300 km circular orbit to geostationary altitude (35,786 km):
- r₁ = 6671 km, r₂ = 42157 km around Earth; a = (r₁ + r₂)/2 = 24414 km
- Δv₁ = √(μ/r₁)(√(2r₂/(r₁ + r₂)) − 1) = 2427.654119 m/s
- Δv₂ = √(μ/r₂)(1 − √(2r₁/(r₁ + r₂))) = 1467.573079 m/s; t = π√(a³/μ) = 5.272746528 h
Second burn Δv₂: 1.467573079 km/s · Transfer time (half an ellipse): 5.272746528 h · Transfer orbit semi-major axis: 24414 km · Initial circular speed: 7.729891847 km/s · Final circular speed: 3.074921542 km/s
GATE tip
Work in radii from the centre, not altitudes: r = R_Earth + h with R_Earth = 6371 km (or 6378 km if the question says equatorial).
More Space Dynamics Calculators
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Elliptical Orbit Calculator
T = 2π√(a³/μ), v = √(μ(2/r − 1/a))
a = (r_p + r_a)/2, e = (r_a − r_p)/(r_a + r_p), energy = −μ/(2a)
Example: An Earth orbit with a 400 km perigee and a 4000 km apogee: Orbital period T = 131.615 min.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Hohmann transfer efficient?
For orbit ratios below about 11.9 it needs the least Δv of any two-impulse transfer, at the cost of a slow half-ellipse.
Do GEO satellites also change inclination?
Yes: launches from Florida or Kourou carry an inclination that must be removed, usually combined with the apogee burn because plane changes are cheapest at low speed.
Sources
- CODATA Recommended Values of the Fundamental Physical Constants: 2018, National Institute of Standards and Technology .
- Planetary Fact Sheet, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center .
Last reviewed: . Factors are stored exactly and computed with 50-digit decimal arithmetic. See how we verify conversion factors.
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APA
Scientific Converters. (2026, October 15). Hohmann Transfer Calculator. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://scientificconverters.com/calculators/hohmann-transfer-calculator/
IEEE
Scientific Converters, "Hohmann Transfer Calculator," scientificconverters.com. Accessed: Oct. 25, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://scientificconverters.com/calculators/hohmann-transfer-calculator/