When to Use Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer
The Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer fits classroom demos of the two-burn maneuver, quick comparisons of satellite-scale versus planet-scale transfers, and curiosity breaks about why Mars launch windows are rare. It is an educational visualization of the classic maneuver - not a mission-design tool - so a few session types need another resource.
A five-minute classroom demo
A five-minute classroom demo is the ideal session: open Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer on the LEO to GEO preset, press Play transfer, and watch the craft coast the teal ellipse from the departure burn to the arrival burn in about three seconds of animation. The facts panel gives the real 2.45 and 1.47 km/s burns to write on the board.
Comparing satellite-scale and planet-scale transfers
Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer suits side-by-side comparison because both presets use the identical geometry. Switch from LEO to GEO (hours, kilometers) to Earth to Mars (days, astronomical units) and the same teal ellipse, same two markers, and same facts-panel layout carry very different real numbers.
Understanding launch windows
Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer in fullscreen keeps the preset buttons, Play transfer button, and facts panel visible while explaining why Mars launch windows repeat only every 26 months - the panel's synodic-period note pairs with the visual of the transfer ellipse to make the geometry behind the number concrete.
Sessions it does not fit
These sessions do not fit Hohmann Transfer 3D Explorer: any time you need actual mission trajectory design, plane-change maneuvers, gravity assists, or the Oberth-effect savings real departures exploit to cut delta-v below the idealized two-burn figure shown here. The scene visualizes the classic two-body, two-burn maneuver only. For a single already-circular orbit, use the ISS Orbit Tracker; for an already-elliptical orbit's shape, use the Kepler Orbits 3D Explorer. It also needs WebGL in the browser.
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