Geostationary transfer orbit

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An example of a spiral-out trajectory: a transition from GTO to GEO.
  EchoStar XVII ·   Earth.

In space mission design, a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) or geosynchronous transfer orbit is a highly elliptical type of geocentric orbit, usually with a perigee as low as low Earth orbit (LEO) and an apogee as high as geostationary orbit (GEO). Satellites that are destined for geosynchronous orbit (GSO) or GEO are often put into a GTO as an intermediate step for reaching their final orbit.^[1] Manufacturers of launch vehicles often advertise the amount of payload the vehicle can put into GTO.^[2]