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For a Hohmann transfer orbit from radius $r_0$ to $\eta r_0$, with $\eta >1$ and initial circular speed $v_0=\sqrt{GM/r_0}$, conservation of orbital energy and angular momentum gives transfer endpoint speeds $v_p/v_0=\sqrt{2\eta /(1+\eta )}$ and $v_a/v_0=\sqrt{2/[\eta (1+\eta )]}$. The required prograde impulses areIf the spacecraft mass is constant and fuel use is proportional to impulse magnitude, these also give the fuel fractions relative to a budget with total speed change $v_0$. Their sum is a sum of magnitudes, even though the burns occur at different positions and directions.

Classification of attractive inverse-square orbits. Write the potential energy as $U=-\kappa /r$, with $\kappa =GMm>0$ and zero at infinity. For nonzero angular momentum $J$, the Kepler orbit is a conic,Negative total orbital energy gives an elliptic orbit, $0\le e<1$. Its special case $e=0$ is the circular Kepler orbit, at the minimum energy permitted for that $J$, $E=-m{\kappa }^2/(2J^2)$. Zero energy gives a parabolic Kepler orbit, $e=1$, and positive energy a hyperbolic Kepler orbit, $e>1$. For $J=0$, the motion is radial: these are degenerate limiting trajectories and may strike the centre or the finite planetary surface.

The scattering geometry. The impact parameter $b$ is the perpendicular offset of the undeflected incoming asymptote from the centre, not the actual periapsis radius $r_{\min }$. Gravity bends the incoming path toward the planet.

The grazing threshold. At infinity, conservation of energy and angular momentum give $E=m{v}_{\infty }^2/2$ and $J=mb{v}_{\infty }$. At closest approach the radial speed is zero, so the velocity is tangential andEliminating $v_p$ givesThis increases monotonically with $r_{\min }>0$. Setting $r_{\min }=R$ gives the grazing impact parameter in gravitational focusing,Here $v_{\mathrm{esc}}=\sqrt{2GM/R}$ is the surface escape speed. The expression has units of length. Equality is the tangency limit; a strictly noncolliding trajectory requires $b>b_{\min }$. At high speed, $b_{\min }\to R$, while at low speed $b_{\min }\sim \sqrt{2GMR}/v_{\infty }$. Thus gravitational focusing enlarges the collision cross-section to $\pi b_{\min }^2$.

Deflection angle. For this hyperbola,The asymptotes occur at $\cos {\varphi }_{\infty }=-1/e$. The change of velocity direction is $\chi =2{\varphi }_{\infty }-\pi$, giving $\sin (\chi /2)=1/e$. Hence the gravitational scattering angle satisfiesFor the grazing trajectory this isIt is the attractive counterpart of the Rutherford impact-parameter relation; the sign of the transverse bending changes, but the positive deflection magnitude has this same form.

Range of angles. Along the grazing family, varying $v_{\infty }>0$ givesThe limits are $\chi \to 0$ as $v_{\infty }\to \infty$ and $\chi \to \pi$ as $v_{\infty }\to 0^{+}$. Neither endpoint is reached at finite positive speed. The low-speed limiting orbit still has a finite periapsis, but an increasingly distant incoming asymptote.

Choose zero gravitational potential energy at infinite separation. The spacecraft's conserved total orbital energy isAt periapsis and apoapsis, the radial velocity vanishes, so the velocity is perpendicular to the radius. The conserved angular momentum magnitude is thereforeThe angular momentum vector is normal to the fixed orbital plane. The respective units are joules and $\mathrm{kg}{\mathrm{m}}^2{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$. These expressions use Newtonian gravity and the approximation $M\gg m$.

For a bound Kepler orbit, specific orbital energy $v^2/2-\mu /r$ is negative. Therefore $\mu >v^{2}r/2$. A projected separation $R_{\perp }\le r$ and a systemic-motion-corrected line-of-sight speed $|v_{\mathrm{los}}|\le v$ give the displayed lower bound. One position and one spectral velocity already constrain the mass in this model; a fitted orbit gives much more. The bound assumes a bound orbit in a point-mass potential; it is not an unrestricted enclosed-mass formula for an arbitrary extended potential.