Lunar Gravity-Assist Maneuver As a Way of Reducing the Orbit Amplitude in the Spectrum-Röntgen-Gamma Project
Abstract
Spectrum-Röntgen-Gamma (SRG) is a space observatory designed to observe astrophysical objects in the X-ray range of the electromagnetic spectrum. SRG is planned to be launched in 2019 by a Proton-M launch vehicle with a DM3 upper stage. The spacecraft will be delivered to an orbit around the Sun-Earth collinear libration point L2 located at a distance of 1.5 million km from the Earth. Although the SRG launch scheme has already been determined at present, in this paper we consider an alternative spacecraft transfer scenario using a lunar gravity-assist maneuver. The proposed scenario allows a oneimpulse transfer from a low Earth orbit to a small-amplitude orbit around the libration point to be performed while fulfilling the technical constraints and the scientific requirements of the mission.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy Letters
- Pub Date:
- April 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1134/S1063773718040059
- Bibcode:
- 2018AstL...44..289K
- Keywords:
-
- Spectrum-Röntgen-Gamma;
- gravity-assist maneuver;
- libration points