Orbital maneuvers and space rendezvous

• Basic principles of orbital maneuvers are discussed on a level accessible to non-specialists.
• Fundamental laws of physics are used to explain the counterintuitive navigation in space.
• The physical nature of restrictions in designing space missions is explained.
• Optimization of various orbital maneuvers is discussed.
• Special simulation software illustrates unusual spacecraft trajectories.

Several possibilities of launching a space vehicle from the orbital station are considered and compared. Orbital maneuvers discussed in the paper can be useful in designing a trajectory for a specific space mission. The relative motion of orbiting bodies is investigated on examples of spacecraft rendezvous with the space station that stays in a circular orbit around the Earth. An elementary approach is illustrated by an accompanying simulation computer program and supported by a mathematical treatment based on fundamental laws of physics and conservation laws. Material is appropriate for engineers and other personnel involved in space exploration, undergraduate and graduate students studying classical physics and orbital mechanics.