Minimum fuel trajectories for low-thrust power-limited spacecraft
Abstract
Minimum fuel trajectories for low-thrust power-limited spacecraft are investigated. The Pole Squatter mission involves an orbit transfer in Earth's gravity field. Edelbaum's orbit averaging method is used and Marec's analytical solution for the co-latus rectum transfer, as well as the numerically obtained globally optimal transfer are studied. In a mission to Lagrange points L(sub 4) and L(sub 5) Moon's perturbations must be considered. A numerical iterative procedure is started using an analytical approximation for a nearly circular spiral. Optimal Earth-Moon transfer is obtained by patching Earth and Moon spirals on the sphere of influence. The solution of the previous problem serves as a starting point for the iterative procedure. Typical results for the trajectories and for the thrust acceleration variations during the transfer are shown.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- August 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990PhDT........24G
- Keywords:
-
- Orbit Calculation;
- Perturbation;
- Power Limited Spacecraft;
- Spacecraft Trajectories;
- Trajectory Analysis;
- Trajectory Optimization;
- Earth Gravitation;
- Gravitational Fields;
- Iterative Solution;
- Moon;
- Thrust;
- Transfer Orbits;
- Astrodynamics