Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer vs Kepler Orbits 3D Explorer
Learning how a spacecraft actually moves between two orbits takes one page load in the Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer - 0 MB installed, USD 0, no account. The Kepler Orbits 3D Explorer shows why a single already-elliptical orbit behaves the way it does, but it does not show a maneuver between two orbits.
The numbers side by side
| Aspect | Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer | Kepler Orbits 3D Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Install size | 0 MB - runs in the browser | 0 MB - runs in the browser |
| Time to first view | Seconds - one page load | Seconds - one page load |
| Price | USD 0 | USD 0 |
| What it animates | A maneuver between two circular orbits (two burns) | Motion along one fixed elliptical orbit (no burns) |
Where Hohmann Transfer wins
Everything runs locally with WebGL. For understanding how satellites actually get from LEO to GEO, or how a spacecraft actually gets from Earth to Mars - the departure burn, the coast along a transfer ellipse, and the arrival burn, each with a real delta-v figure - it is the focused route. Two presets swap the whole scale, from a 5.3-hour satellite maneuver to a 259-day interplanetary one, using the same geometry.
Where Kepler Orbits wins
The Kepler Orbits 3D Explorer wins when the question is about a single orbit's shape rather than a maneuver between two orbits - eccentricity, equal-area sweep, and Kepler's third law for Mercury, Earth, and Halley's comet. It is a qualitative single-body visualization - not a maneuver planner either - but it answers "why is this one orbit an ellipse?" rather than "how do you get from orbit A to orbit B?"
A reasonable rule
Use Hohmann Transfer for the two-burn maneuver and real delta-v/transfer-time figures; use Kepler Orbits for a single orbit's eccentricity and Kepler's laws; use a dedicated mission-design tool for launch windows, plane changes, and gravity assists. The published figures in each panel - 2.45 and 1.47 km/s for LEO to GEO, 259 days for Earth to Mars, e=0.206 for Mercury - stay accurate either way.
See when to use Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer for session fit.
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