Orbital Insertion

Orbital insertion is the propulsive manoeuvre that achieves stable orbital velocity, transitioning a spacecraft from its ascent trajectory into a closed orbit. For LEO, orbital velocity is approximately 7.8 km/s. The rocket's upper stage typically performs the final insertion burn, often in a "parking orbit" before subsequent burns raise to the target altitude. Falcon 9's second stage performs orbital insertion and then a second burn for higher orbits (GTO, direct GEO). For planetary missions, orbital insertion occurs at the destination — Mars Orbital Insertion (MOI) requires a braking burn to be captured by Mars's gravity.