Orbit Transfer by Means of a Ward Spiral

Abstract

The Ward spiral occurs as a result of the study of the effects of drag on the orbit of a satellite. The Ward spiral is also suitable as a climb path when transferring from a lower to a higher orbit, if both orbits are circular. A Ward transfer to a larger orbit is described in detail and compared to the well-known Hohmann transfer, and it is shown that a Ward transfer can have the advantage of a shorter transfer time.