CELESTIAL MECHANICS A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z                    HOME ABOUT CATEGORIES SITE MAP COPYRIGHT ADVERTISE CONTACT entire Web this site halo orbit A halo orbit around the first Lagrangian point of the Earth-Sun system An orbit in which a spacecraft will remain in the vicinity of a Lagrangian point, following a circular or elliptical loop around that point. The first mission to take advantage of such an orbit was ISEE-3, launched in 1978. ISEE-3 was later renamed ICE when it was sent away from L1 (the first Lagrangian point) of the Sun-Earth system to encounter a comet's tail. Halo orbits are special cases of Lissajous orbits where the in-plane and out-of-plane frequencies are the same. Related category    • CELESTIAL MECHANICS Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) BACK TO TOP