Orbits:

Consider a spacecraft at point, P:

• If a rocket is not fired, it will fall to the ground on path A
• A short burst results in an elliptical orbit, intersecting Earth, along path B
• A higher speed almost allows the spacecraft to avoid colliding with Earth (path C)
• A higher speed still results in a complete elliptical orbit (path D)
• A circular velocity results in a circular orbit (path E)
• Higher speeds result in additional elliptical orbits (path F)
• The escape velocity results in a parabolic orbit (path G)
• Speeds greater than the escape velocity result in hyperbolic orbits (path H)