In astrodynamics, a sphere of influence is the roughly spheroid-shaped region around a celestial body where that body's gravity is the dominant force acting on an orbiting or passing object. Mission designers use the boundary between two bodies' spheres of influence in the patched conic approximation, a simplified method for planning interplanetary trajectories that switches which body's gravity governs the spacecraft's motion at each boundary crossing rather than solving the full multi-body problem.
Facts
Concept Domain Formulated YearPierre-Simon Laplace introduced the sphere of gravitational influence in Theorie des cometes, Book IX of his Traite de mecanique celeste, while analyzing comet encounters with Jupiter; that volume (Tome IV) was published in 1805. The later Hill sphere and patched-conic method are separate refinements by other authors. Proposed ByLaplace introduced the sphere of gravitational influence in Theorie des cometes (Book IX of his Traite de mecanique celeste, 1805) while studying comet perturbations near Jupiter; the Hill sphere and patched-conic method are later refinements by other authors. Connections
Associated With
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Sun, Celestial Objects The Sun sphere of influence dominates the solar system for heliocentric trajectories
The Moon has its own sphere of influence within the Earth-Moon system
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationSphere of influence (astrodynamics), lead section
A sphere of influence (SOI) in astrodynamics and astronomy is the oblate spheroid-shaped region where a particular celestial body exerts the main gravitational influence on an orbiting object.
Wikipedia, Traite de mecanique celeste, Tome IV listing (Livre IX Theorie des cometes)
Tome IV. (1805)
- Associated With: Orbital Mechanics
- Associated With: Gravity Assist
- Associated With: Hohmann Transfer Orbit
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