= Oberth effect
{wiki=Oberth_effect}
The Oberth effect is a phenomenon in rocketry that describes how a spacecraft can achieve greater efficiency and higher speeds when it performs maneuvers at higher velocities, particularly when close to a massive body like a planet or star. Named after the German physicist Hermann Oberth, the effect occurs due to the relationship between kinetic energy and velocity. When a rocket performs a propulsion burn (i.e., it fires its engines), the gain in kinetic energy is proportional to the square of the velocity.
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