Altitude band: Sun-centred — beyond Earth's sphere of influence
Heliocentric orbits are Sun-centred trajectories used by every interplanetary probe ever launched. Reaching Mars, Venus, asteroids, or deep-space observatories requires escaping Earth's gravity well entirely and then tuning the spacecraft's orbit around the Sun. Launch windows are dictated by planetary alignments, which is why Mars opportunities come only every 26 months.
Common uses: Mars missions, asteroid sample return, deep-space probes, sun observation, planetary science
1 confirmed mission currently targeting Heliocentric / Interplanetary.
Recent launches to Heliocentric / Interplanetary from our archive: